Shadows and Echoes
by The Primordial
Summary: Trevelyan is a Bounty Hunter hell-bent on hunting down the person responsible for an event in the past. Revenge can make someone survive through anything to get it, but how far would he go? Follows the events of Mass Effect 1. First story, and taking all forms of criticism to heart.
1. Hard Landing

**Hard Landing  
**

* * *

The ship shuddered, unable to keep to its current flight path to the planet ahead. More gunfire came from inside the ship and created bulk breaches. As an automated response, the ship's V.I. activated its kinetic barriers to keep everyone from being pulled into the vacuum of space. Mercenaries ran down the halls of twisted and molten metal to the attackers. They took up defensive positions behind what was left of the cargo bay. Back in the cockpit, numerous errors flashed on the dash and the nose of the ship went down. Everyone lost their balance and fell backwards, followed by equipment and rubble that joined in the free fall. The Captain crawled back into his seat and felt a sharp pain in his side. He was sure it was just a stab in gut from the free fall, and not actual gunfire. Screams echoing through the hall drew his attention and he looked over his shoulder at the attackers – Geth. The Captain's eyes widened when he realized the Geth had been hiding in the storage containers they were ordered to deliver to a planet by an anonymous Spectre.

A blast polluted the ship and blue energy spread over the floor towards the advancing synthetics.

Dazed by the blast, the Captain looked up at a hand being offered to him. He looked up at the owner, the Bounty Hunter who requested passage to vague coordinates that made no sense. The Bounty Hunter pulled him up and pushed the Captain out of the line of fire. The Captain looked over his shoulder at the new bulk breach where his surviving crew stormed out of, engaging the stunned Geth.

"Trevelyan, why are you and the others still here? I ordered everyone to leave the ship!" The Captain shouted over the soaring gunfire.

"I don't take orders from you, remember? Besides, I realigned the ship's core. You have control again. Get the ship away from the planet's orbit," Trevelyan explained, raising his right arm to block incoming rubble.

The Captain and Trevelyan looked in the direction of the Cargo Bay where plasma blasts came from. They peeked around the corner to see a Geth Armature annihilating the exposed mercenaries. It was the only thing the Geth had at their disposal to turn the tide in their favor.

"You wanted me to leave the ship? I'll take that thing with me. You get your men out of its line of fire," the Bounty Hunter said.

The Captain did not speak, but simply nodded at him. He tapped an authorization code into the holographic panel and opened a COM channel across the ship. The Captain then proceeded to open the Cargo Bay. Trevelyan could see the remaining mercenaries head for the rendezvous point and took his chances. The Geth Armature was distracted by the opening ramp behind it. The Bounty Hunter ran towards the Geth and deactivated his magnetic boots as he leaped forward. His mass and speed were strong enough to knock the Geth off-balance and into space, but two Geth troopers also jumped out.

One of them managed to grab hold of Trevelyan to pry him off the Geth Armature and disable his suits functionality. He spun around at a dramatic rate, spinning the Gethh off of him and into the Armature, cutting two of its limbs off in the process. He used the second Geth as a shield to block an incoming blast of the Geth plasma. The Bounty Hunter used his own momentum again to throw a grenade between the exposed parts of the Geth Armature, destroying it from the inside. It unintentionally increased his own speed towards the planet, caught in its orbit. He reached into the planet's atmosphere. Vaparous flames flickered on his armor. The screen of his helmet flickered on and off as it tried to reboot itself.

_/_System_Recovery_COMPLETE_/_

Energy signatures flared up on his helmet's tactical visor and his suit tried to keep the user from being incinerated. The rocky surface flashed before him and turned into a large green field. Trevelyan crossed his arms over his chest, bracing for impact though he knew there was no way of preparing for this. His vision blackened as he met with the surface, every feeling in his body gone. The impact created a small burning crater. He felt every sensation return to his body. As he moved, he was overwhelmed by extreme pain on his back and chest. He crawled out of the crater, struggling under the trauma his body went through. The radar on his helmet flickered back on, flashing with three unidentified targets that moved to his position and he turned to them. Four children looked at him, agasp. They held some small, old dolls tightly.

"Is this some kind of junky, old robot?" One of kids asked, ending the long silence. The oldest one scanned the man in front of her from head to toe while the other two muttered the word "robot".

"I'm not some junky robot. My name is Trevelyan," he introduced and took several steps towards them. They unconsciously took a step back as the tall figure advanced on them. "Say, is there an Alliance HQ nearby? Or perhaps a Communication Tower?"

"Yeah," the youngest said, nodding. "You... err... fell in mobile crops field B-12, so you need to go west to reach the Communication Tower – it's the closest building from here."

"Alright. Thanks, kid," the Bounty Hunter thanked.

"Can we, like, follow you around?"

"I think you kids should head back home to you parents. It's not safe to play out here."

With that he parted from the small group of kids. With such a big mobile crops field, and only a COM Tower in the area, Trevelyan knew they slunk out of their colony to play here. He pushed through several thick leaves and stepped into a large open valley and followed the kid's coordinates. He reached the Communication Tower, but kept his distance just in case. He created a COM channel across all known channels.

"Anyone on this channel? Hello? Something is disrupting communications... Hello, can you hear me?"

"We can hear you," four young voices replied in unison.

Trevelyan slowly turned around to the four kids who he encountered just a few hours ago. Their smiles quickly soured and turned frightened when he stared at them without saying anything. He let out a soft sigh in frustration before turning back to his Omni-Tool. The sky thundered with ominous clouds.

"Robot, look!" One of the boys yelled, pointing into the sky ahead of them.

"I told you: I'm not a robot," he muttered, but looked into the direction the boy pointed.

Several storm clouds started spread in the sky. A ship sheered through the clouds, dropping a fast moving object as it flew overhead. The small object raced towards the surface, creating another crated that polluted the air with dust. Trevelyan signaled the kids to stay back as he approached it.

"There sure is a lot of junk falling from the sky today," one of the kids yelled over the distance.

A small, smoldering silver ball laid unmoving in the center. The center of the ball spun around and unlocked. Several limbs extended from its interior, morphing into a completely different form. Trevelyan switched to another visor mode, scanning the new anomaly.

"No way... Geth? It's dangerous," the Bounty Hunter started as he looked over his shoulder at the kids. "Get out of here! As far as you can!"

"Huh? Okay..." They didn't understand the swift change in his voice, but obeyed the order without question.

Trevelyan looked back at the crater that was now empty. A sudden shadow loomed over him and he looked up at the Geth jumping towards him. It had its right arm raised and a blinding light came forth from it. He dropped a small device on the ground that created a shield in front of him that absorbed most of the impact. He looked through the thick layer of smoke at an arm swinging towards him and grabbed it with both arms. The Geth was strong – and that by their standards. Trevelyan managed to halt most of the swings movement, but it was still strong enough to send him through the wall of the COM Tower that managed to keep standing.

The Bounty Hunter crawled over the ground, unable to get up due to the earlier event. He looked up at a light shining through the fire and smoke. It lifted him up with both arms around his neck. Trevelyan noticed his armor was still smoldering and hot enough to slowly heat the Geth's hands. He raised his hand and slammed it into the Geth's optics, melting the wiring inside to render it blind. It made loud roaring noises and it's metal exterior opened, allowing the stored energy to move around freely. It spread over the ground towards the COM Tower's systems. All energy left the Geth, leaving an empty shell behind that made some hissing sounds. Trevelyan barely managed to activate another shield around him as the Geth exploded, sending him into a random trajectory. His vision slowly faded again.

"...The robot isn't responding."

"..."

Trevelyan heard a ticking sound on his helmet and opened his eyes to the sound. The oldest one from the group leaned over him and jumped back as he moved his head towards her. He got up to his feet and felt someone grab his arm and pull him towards a direction.

"Robot, the colony is under attack! You have to help them!"

He pushed the kid back behind him, keeping them safe. They reached the top of the mountain. The colony ahead was under attack by Geth Dropships, firing mercilessly at Alliance soldiers and civilians alike. Alliance ships flew over and engaged the Geth ships in combat. Suddenly a red laser scorched over the ground, vaporizing everything in its wake. A massive, black ship hovered in the air – larger than any ship ever constructed. Trevelyan recognized its presence all too well as he remembered seeing it in the past that led to the death of thousands.


	2. A Paradise Torn Asunder

**A Paradise Torn Asunder  
**

* * *

The last few gleams of the sun disappeared behind the fiery red atmosphere that filled the sky. With no more than a rifle and a handful of scrounged up grenades, Trevelyan kept the children safe. But if there was one thing he learned, it was that in the most dire circumstances a soldier shouldn't rely on his cutting-edge technology, not his state-of-the-art equipment, not his top-of-the-line weapon, but just himself. Trevelyan kept the children close to him as they made their way through a battlefield. He caught wind of several distorted communications before the Geth cut off COM traffic completely. Turned out both Commanders Shepard have touched down on Eden Prime. They held a reputation that made everyone wary of them, and that meant they are here for something important. A hot wind creaked on his shields and carried the tune he hummed across the field. The Geth had everything pinned down, killed, or captured. He gritted his teeth with a steel face, hoping the kids don't have any permanent trauma from what happened. Not just the Geth attacking, but weird nightmare-inducing spikes with humans pinned on them. The Geth seemed to use those spikes to turn the dead into husks of sorts – a horrible fate for these colonists.

_If the Heroes of the Skyllian Blitz are here, maybe they can take these kids to safety. Hopefully, I can piggyback with them to the Citadel. Just exchange information for a ride, like always..._

They neared the Spaceport, but a poisonous taste hung in the air. Must be a mixture of ashes in the air, burning corpses, and lifeless rotting bodies on those spikes. Trevelyan raised his finger and pointed at several bushes between rubble. If they could hold out long enough, he could look around for helmets to protect them. The kids were silent the whole time, unable to understand what happened here. They hid in the bushes without objecting to him. Trevelyan jumped up at the sound of gunfire in the distance, scanning the area. Eventually, his tension subsided and he turned back to the kids.

"Stay here. I'm going to search for something to help you guys through to the Spaceport," Trevelyan said. "Remember: Think of your 'happy place', not what is happening here."

They nodded silently, eyes filled with fear that slowly subsided. He ghosted back to the battlefield and started searching through the remains. Despite the surprise attack, the Geth took more losses than the Alliance Marines. Trevelyan grasped one of the burned remains by the side, his armored finger tips pushing deep into the unprotected burned skin. His expression turned disgusted, but he managed to find an intact Alliance helmet. The neck seal was still operational and that's all he needed. After scrounging up three more helmets, a gunshot lingered in the air close by. He rushed back to the bushes and noticed a broken Geth crawling away. He set his boot on the Geth's optics, crushing it and disabling its functionality. A shot tore the Geth in half, had to be an excellent shot. The green dots on his helmet indicated all kids were alive and well.

"Stinky Pinky."

"You're back! We all shot at that robot at the same time!" The kids ran out of the bushes with pistols in their hands after Trevelyan said the codeword the kids made up. Truthfully, he had no clue why they decided to use 'that' for a code. He ruffled their hair affectionately until he realized what he wanted to ask earlier.

"Where did you get those guns? Didn't I tell you guys to stay here?"

"Ah... we found them...?"

"I told you to stay here," Trevelyan replied, his voice colder and impassive. The kids dropped the pistols in an instant and avoided eye contact.

"Here, put these on," Trevelyan ordered, handing each of them an Alliance helmet. "We are getting to the Spaceport now. Ready?"

The kids put on the helmets and nodded, hoping that the first 'robot' that helped them wasn't angry with them. He was far from that in truth. In fact, he applauded that they defended themselves, but it wasn't the time to show it. A single gunshot lingered in the distance; Spectre Class weaponry, but it sounded dangerously close this time. Commanders Shepard on a small, relatively unimportant colony was pushing it, but a Spectre? One of the kids grasped Trevelyan's arm tight and started pulling him around.

"Robot, what is that thing?" The kids asked, voice brimming in fear as he pointed ahead.

He shrugged the question off but turned around, his expression darkening instantly. The massive black ship from earlier sheered back into the air, its dark presence more menacing than before as it darkened the sky before departing. At least a dozen Geth ships followed the other ship's trajectory and also disappeared into the red atmosphere.

"We have to go. Now."

Trevelyan pushed the kids behind him. If the Geth retreated, they either lost too many numbers or they planted something on the colony. He choose the latter, and picked up the pace towards the Spaceport. He leaped over the railing and looked around him. The Spaceport was awfully quiet – suspiciously quiet and eerie. A small white device caught his attention. Upon further inspection, Trevelyan pulled out the wiring and disabled the demolition charge. His heart rate dropped as he pieced together the Geth's intent. His concern was interrupted by a metal clanging behind him. But when the green dots appeared on his radar, so do red ones. At least two dozen of them.

The Geth formed up on a railing on the other side, setting up Snipers. The red targeting lasers flickered on the Alliance standard issue clothing of the kids. With all his strength forced into his legs, Trevelyan rushed up to the terrified kids as a shot lingered in the air. His shield absorbed the shot that would've hit him in the face, but more impacted on him. He used his left arm to push the kids down behind several crates.

"Cover your ears!" Trevelyan shouted at the top of his lungs over the gunfire.

He raised his rifle without flinching at the gunfire that broke through his shield, releasing a barrage of gunfire on the Geth. The remaining synthetics shifted their attention to something else in the distance. A cargo train docked at the Spaceport. In the corner of his eye, Trevelyan could see a squad of well-armed Alliance soldiers take up positions. It gave him the opportunity to open one of the ventilation shafts and place the kids in it.

"Stay in here until the gunfire stops. Don't come out."

They nodded at him with the pistols in their hands. He closed the shaft behind them again and turned to the rest of the Geth. The blue dots on his radar spread around the area, most near other demolition charges. A Geth Prime walked passed him, unaware of the Bounty Hunter's presence. It fired a barrage of missiles at a target and moved ahead. One of the blue dots flickered, indicating severe damage. Trevelyan ghosted up to the Geth Prime and overloaded the Geth's systems, destroying it instantly. Footsteps ran up to him from behind. He turned around in an instant, pistol held high and forced a woman's chin up. Her emerald eyes widened as the gasped at the man's speed.

The gunfire died. Demolition charges were disabled and the colony was safe and sound, aside from a few remaining Geth though they couldn't do any harm in small number. More footsteps rushed up to the two who didn't move. Hearing that, Trevelyan dragged his gaze off the woman and to two people behind him. One of them had bandages wrapped around his leg with omni-gel dripping from under it. The other man looked far more experienced and the man's deep blue eyes pierced through Trevelyan.

"I'm Commander Shepard. I don't like people pointing guns at my team," the Commander threatened. "Who are you? What are you doing on Eden Prime?"

"I came here to apply for a job at the mobile crops field, but... it turns out I'm not really qualitifed for that. I'm not good at gardening," Trevelyan answered.

The Commanders face, however, proved he saw directly through the lie. In fact, they already figured out he's a Bounty Hunter thanks to his notorious apparel. Three blue dots moved towards the other side of the Spaceport, near the building where the kids were hiding. Trevelyan had to force himself to stop his movement away from the Commander.

"I'll ask again. Who are you?"

"I'll tell you... On one condition: I want safe passage to the Citadel for me and four others."

The Commander scratched his chin, carefully thinking about the man's offer. If he did have information about what happened here, he had to come aboard and tell them. With a sigh of defeat, the Commander nodded and extended his hand.

"Deal."

Trevelyan reluctantly took the Commander's hand, shaking it. The two met up with the rest of the squad, most throwing concerned looks back and forth between Trevelyan and the Commanders. Another soldier inched forward, cupping her hand on her chin.

"He's one of the good guys?"

The female Commander's brow furrowed as she thought of a response. She didn't need to as the soldier scanned Trevelyan from head to toe and nodded with a 'damn, he packs a punch' look.

"The scientists had something moved to the Spaceport. I guess Saren is after that."

"Come again?" Trevelyan cut in with a very serious tone. "Saren Arterius is here?"

"We aren't sure, but a dockworker claims he saw him," the Commander answered, uneasy and hovered with her hand over her modified pistol. "What's your interest in Saren Arterius?"

"... Eh? Oh, nothing."

_He was here. The gunshot from earlier proves it_, Trevelyan thought but kept it to himself.

His vague answer piqued everyone's attention. Trevelyan brushed their suspicious glares off like nothing and shrugged at them standing still amid the remains of a battle. Somehow the Alliance squad couldn't help but think the Bounty Hunter had a more personal agenda, and that outside of bounties and targets to take down. But they had no time to pay heed to that. For now they slowly walked up the ramp and around the corner. Trevelyan kept his eyes on his radar, keeping tabs on the kids in the ventilation shaft. All alive and well, but moving around the interior as if searching for something.

"Jenkins, Alenko, secure the Prothean Beacon," the Commander ordered, waving two fingers at an odd-looking object ahead. "Williams, contact the Normandy."

"Prothean Beacon? I haven't heard of that since my "business" with the Collectors..." Trevelyan muttered to himself almost silent, walking away from the two Commanders.

With those orders the soldiers followed. Both Commanders inspected the Prothean Beacon, as it was called, and turned to Trevelyan who carried four children out of an air vent. The four kids stood around him and looked at the Commanders approaching them.

"So, they are the other four?"

"Well, yeah. I kept them safe for a day until I reached the Spaceport."

"Commander, _SSV Normandy_ is en route," Williams notified, resting against a silver ball.

"Get away from that thing!" Trevelyan shouted, unintentionally causing the kids to rush off into bushes and rubble to hide.

Williams furrowed her brow with an annoyed expression on her face. He replied with an equally annoyed expression until he realized he had his helmet on. The ball she leaned against looked almost identical to a dozen others lined up. Though, as he saw coming, the ball unlocked and turned into another Geth. Before Williams could compensate for her mistake, a quick swing in her abdomen send her a few feet into the air. This Geth looked different. Unlike the first he encountered, this one had blades mounted on its wrists that looked sharp enough to cut a Geth Colossus in half.

It moved without mercy to the motionless Williams with its right arm raised. To its own surprise, if it had that, and that of the Alliance soldiers, the soaring blade was caught in mid-air by the handle.

Trevelyan caught the Geth's arm with both his hands, stopping its swing despite the extreme strength the Geth had at its disposal. It swung the arm with Trevelyan to the right, the force knocking back both Commanders as well who hoped using the previous action to their advantage. They were dangerously close to the beacon. A sudden green beam pulled the bodies of the Commanders closer to its proximity, no matter how hard they try to break free from it. The only remaining Alliance soldier hesitated on what he should do. The Commanders were helplessly caught by the Prothean Beacon and the Bounty Hunter they picked up kept dodging the swings of the Geth. Though his energy was quickly drained by the Geth's unmatched speed.

Trevelyan rolled away, grabbing his rifle from his back in the process. The Geth loomed over him. He rolled back again, accidentally letting go of his rifle. He had no other option but to keep dodging the Geth's attacks until he would fatigue and die or find a crack in its defenses. The Geth slowed down its movement. Trevelyan took his chances and charged up to the Geth. It swung at him again, but he managed to barely dodge it. He clenched his hand into a fist and managed to land a powerful punch in its core, causing it to stagger back. Momentarily stunned, it send both arms forward. Trevelyan then proceeded to sidestep the next hammer-swing and elbowed the Geth across the flashlight head, shattering the optics and rendering it blind. He saw both Commanders hovering a few feet in the air next to the beacon. As the Geth was rendered blind from the damage, Trevelyan gave one final kick sending the Geth into the beacon to its demise. The Prothean Beacon blew up upon impact, knocking both Commanders back to solid ground.

"Everyone alright?" Trevelyan asked, his body shaking a little.

The wounded soldier waved at him, tending to Williams' wounds. The other soldier tended to both Commanders as best he could. Trevelyan snatched his rifle from the ground and walked back to the children. They ran out of the bushes and kept close to him. A ship silhouette appeared through the fire in the sky. He readied his rifle, but lowered it when he noticed the Alliance emblem on the hull.

_Wow. That's the SSV Normandy, huh? Maybe I should take a souvenir..._

The Cargo Hold opened up. Another squad of Alliance soldiers rushed out, taking up positions. Another man, highly decorated and renowned veteran of the Alliance, stepped out. The man was known to have enough medals that he could melt them down and create a life-size statue of himself. Trevelyan lowered his weapon, but kept it active just in case.

"Captain Anderson, something went wrong..."

"Alenko, explain," Anderson replied, his eyes locked on Trevelyan and the kids.

"Well..." Alenko rubbed his forehead. "The Prothean Beacon pulled the Commanders closer and lifted them into the air right after some weird Geth kicked them towards it."

"You mean Trevelyan kicked them into it?" Anderson asked again. Trevelyan remained unfazed despite Anderson dropping his name.

"No, sir. He destroyed the thing single-handedly. He may know something about this, too." Alenko looked confused at the Captain and shifted his gaze to the Bounty Hunter.

"Alright, get everyone on-board."

The medics carried the unconscious Williams into the Cargo Hold. After the Alliance soldiers and medics finished with the Commanders and other members of the ground-side team, Trevelyan walked in with the children behind his back. He started to feel like a parent to them and instinctively kept them out of harm's way – even if the Alliance were allies. An older doctor stood next to Captain Anderson, waiting to take the kids with her for medical inspection. After telling them it was alright, Trevelyan turned to Anderson who held the elevator open for him.

"We need to talk."

"...It's nice to see you, David."


	3. Visions and Souvenirs

**Visions and Souvenirs  
**

* * *

_...Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything._

The Commander woke up to a dim light and the smell of disinfectant that settled in her nostrils. Which seemed odd. She doesn't remember anything or anyone who would require surgery or any kind of procedure from Eden Prime. The Commander grasped for the railing and pulled herself up. In her mind, she tried to replay everything that has happened up until she lost consciousness. After ruthlessly squashing out the nightmare from last night, she pieced everything together again. Nihlus Kryik being killed on Eden Prime, traumatized survivors, a small group of children, a Bounty Hunter and... the Prothean Beacon! Her eyes instantly widened at that last bit and she pushed herself off the bed.

"The Prothean Beacon... what happened to it?"

"Relax, Jane. Apparently, the damn thing got blown up," her brother answered, equally as annoyed by the destruction of the Prothean Beacon. This was bound to cause some serious consequences with the Citadel Council along with the death of one of their Spectres. The right hand of the Council – more like the dirty hand – doing jobs that 'save' the Galaxy but with no way to hold them accountable for actual crimes they commit along the way. Something that created legit distrust and hatred towards the Spectres.

Jane moved her hand to her eyes with a sigh, frustrated they failed to complete the mission. She looked back at her brother who had some scrapes and burns on his face, but no actual injuries. Her own arm, however, felt numb. Jane looked down at her arm, moving each finger individually. As she did, the muscles of her fingers released tickling prickles. She rolled her sleeve up, noticing a red mark and realized she slept on her arm which kept the blood from properly flowing into it. Though the over-the-top odor of disinfectant was still a mystery.

"John... did we leave that Bounty Hunter and those children behind? We didn't, right?" She shot out more questions.

The door of the Medical Bay slid opened before John could answer and the Doctor walked in, head lowered. Both Commanders quietly watched the Doctor scuffle back to her seat, almost dropping through her knees with each step she took. With a sigh, she sat down behind her desk and reached for her cup of herbal tea. Clearly, Chakwas went through too much time without rest to strain her focus and physical strength.

"You two can go. By the way, John, Captain Anderson wants to speak to you in the COM Room." The Doctor waved them off. As the door closed, a soft thud echoed through the Medical Bay as Chakwas dropped her head on the table, instantly asleep.

The two looked around the Mess. It was so quiet, silence was audible. While John had to take his leave and headed for the COM Room, his sister grabbed an empty coffee cup and blew out some dust. The thick black substance filled the cup, rippling with each step she took towards the chairs. She sat down on a chair across the Bounty Hunter who was surrounded by the children, who all peacefully slept. She assumed he was asleep as well. Jane's face turned bitter at the taste of the coffee, but it woke her up. With slight distrust towards the Bounty Hunter they picked up, Jane couldn't help but wonder how he got there. There was no data on any ships landing on Eden Prime aside from the Alliance, and all their staff and soldiers were tagged before and after entering. A true mystery, indeed.

She furrowed her brow and leaned forward to rest her arms on the table. Jane placed her cup down and had the urge to wake the man up to ask something. To date, she's the fastest N7 Soldier – her agility and speed unmatched by any other, until yesterday. How could a simple Bounty Hunter surpass that? With a groan, he woke up, noticing the children around him and his face turned to the Commander who stared at him with a thinking look on her face.

"Commander Shepard... you don't look too bad," Trevelyan remarked, noticing it looked like she just had a refreshing nap rather than being knocked out by a Prothean Beacon. "Can I help you with something?"

"How did you move faster than me on Eden Prime? I've never seen someone move that fast," she asked, with a hint of embarrassment. Jane cupped her face in her hands, still replaying that very moment in her mind. She could make out some faint images of the moment, but the nightmare of the Prothean Beacon was too fresh and kicked other thoughts away.

"I didn't..."

At those words, the Commander looked at him with a surprised shine in her emerald eyes.

"I had my weapon readied, you didn't. I was at an advantage there," Trevelyan proceeded slowly. While it wasn't true, he felt somehow bad to tell her what really happened. In truth, they both had their weapons drawn, but his suit allows him to do... things that are beyond normal physical limits. He couldn't help but wonder where the Collectors got that kind of technology from.

Trevelyan looked silently at her and saw the relieved expression on her face though he couldn't help but wonder what the big deal was about being faster than someone else. Silence settled back in, followed by a tranquil atmosphere that filled the Mess Hall. Her brother walked back down and sat down in an unoccupied chair, watching the rest sit quietly and unmoving without any subject to talk about. He scratched his chin and went over his rough beard with the back of his hand. For some odd reason, that made Trevelyan's armor itch. A sudden slam on the table woke the children up and drew the attention of both Trevelyan and Jane, neither particularly pleased by that.

"So it was you," John remarked, a big grin spreading across his face. "You were the one who set Anderson's apartment on fire!"

His remark earned him a glare from Jane who dragged her gaze away until she met with the Bounty Hunter. The kids slowly settled back in their seats, drifting away.

"It was an accident, really," Trevelyan replied, annoyed.

"Right, right..." The Commander looked at him suspiciously amused. Why would a Commander find something like that funny or worthy of discussing? John noticed the Bounty Hunter cringed at that and decided to not inquire any further about the subject.

"Anyway, what did Captain Anderson say?" Jane cut in, redirecting the conversation. She played with some strands of her red hair, piqued why Anderson requested him to the COM Room.

"Huh? Oh, he needed a second pair of eyes on something. Those new Geth constructs and that massive ship," John answered, tint of boredom filling his voice. He turned back to the Bounty Hunter who remained silent this round. "By the way, you need not worry about the Prothean Beacon exploding. Data indicates the beacon exploded .03 seconds before the Geth fell against it."

"That's reassuring to hear. Not that I could compensate for it if I did destroy it," the Bounty Hunter muttered. At this point Trevelyan realized he shouldn't talk about that any further and just leave after they arrive at the Citadel. After all, the Alliance isn't too pleased about having a Bounty Hunter on the most advanced warship in Citadel Space.

_I'd be more concerned about __Nazara__ than some Prothean Beacon, though..._

"_Commanders Shepard, you are both being requested to go to the COM Room at once,_" another voice cut in over the COM.

Without any further ado, they both got out of the chairs and made their way to the stairs. After they disappeared around the corner, Trevelyan returned back to his own thoughts. With nobody else in the Mess Hall, he fidgeted with his helmet and took it off. The air tasted odd – it lacked the metallic quality of his suit, but it felt nice to feel the warmth brush on his slightly pale skin. He went with his armored hand through his hair with a sigh, staring into the coffee cup before him. Time went by as always, but he sat there unmoving.

Then it hit.

A sudden shift in gravity caused the coffee to ripple. Trevelyan placed his helmet back on, opening the star charts right after his screen flickered up. They arrived in the Widow Cluster of Serpent Nebula. It wouldn't take too long for him to drop the kids off at their parents and continue his own leads. If there were any other leads, so far this news about Saren being on Eden Prime gave him something new to investigate, but that's it.

"Operative Bravo-One, come in." The voice echoed through his helmet, pausing between every few words to take a breath.

"Operative Bravo-One here," Trevelyan answered, creating a private channel. "What's going on, Barla Von?"

"Nothing, really. I just need to give you a heads-up that Saren has some of his top agents on the lookout for you," Barla Von warned, again taking breaths inbetween words. "Apparently he caught notice of you being on Eden Prime, too."

"Ah..." Trevelyan sighed. "I see. Thanks for letting me know, Barla."

"I'm just repaying you for one of the favors you did for the Shadow Broker."

"I didn't actually help the Shadow Broker. But thanks, anyway."

With those parting words, the private COM ended. He couldn't help but wonder what Saren had in store for him, other than a bunch of regular Mercs who tend to fall over their own weapons most of the time. He sighed again, this time it sounding darker and more sinister due to his ventilation mask activated to root out unwanted particles in his suit. The sound slowly woke up the kids who blinked several times at the intense lighting of the Mess Hall.

"Are we home yet?" The youngest boy, Marcellus, asked. He unconsciously let out a long yawn, stretching his arms.

"I believe so," Trevelyan answered honestly, checking the other three. "Want to go to the Bridge, then?"

The four nodded eagerly in a way only youth could. As they got up to the Bridge, something alarmed him. What would happen when they set foot outside of the _SSV Normandy_? It's not like they'll just split ways, not with the people waiting to greet them. They walked further ahead until they reached the pilot. The airlock was just to their left, and the only thing between the kids and their families. Well, that and a few kilometers of space.

"We have arrived at the Citadel, Captain Anderson," the pilot announced, his voice echoing over the COM nearby.

Trevelyan snuck a peek into the cockpit, trying to get a better look at its design and frowned. Just standard Alliance design, slightly personalized by the Pilot occupying it. It didn't take long for Captain Anderson to walk up the Bridge, followed by the Commanders and the rest of the ground side team, all geared up. Anderson shot a surprised look at Trevelyan who leaned against the door of the airlock, impatiently. If it weren't for the kids – he would've waited until the last moment to head up. With everyone at the airlock, they finally left the Normandy.

Outside, however, a man in high-grade politicians clothing greeted them. He didn't look happy. In fact, he bore the most sour expression in existence on his face. After walking out of the tunnel, the group realized why the Ambassador looked so sour. Two squads of well-armed Bounty Hunters stood by the elevator, each squad recognizable by their respective insignias on their armor. They had a small group of civilians with them who all looked tense. Not that anyone could blame them for being nervous amid armed people.

"Mom! Dad!" The kids exclaimed happily, running into the arms of their parents... except for one.

"What's wrong? Aren't your parents here?" He asked.

The girl stayed silent, her hands folded together as she stared at the metal ground.

"Operative Bravo-One, we need to talk. The girl should come too," one of the Bounty Hunters said, the normal playful voice he remembers suddenly cold. Trevelyan shrugged and walked with the girl into the elevator. He didn't know it, but he just dodged a bullet thanks to that request.

"Captain Anderson, this is most outrageous! Bounty Hunters on this secured Dock?! How did they get here?" The Ambassador asked, unable to hold back his disgust for the current situation. Somehow, the ground side team, including the Commanders, couldn't hide their grins. None of them liked Udina, not in the slightest. He was your typical bootlicker who wouldn't hesitate to stab you in the back for his own personal gain.

"It's not like I invited them up here, Ambassador," Anderson replied. "If I were to guess, I'd say Operative Bravo-One called in contacts to locate the children's families and bring them to this 'secured' Dock."

"Secured Dock? Ahahahaha," another Bounty Hunter laughed awkwardly, stepping in. "We'll take our leave. It's not like Human politics interest us, anyway. It's the crap that bores the crap out of crap, really..."

Ambassador Udina threw a cold glare at the Bounty Hunter who said that, but the Hunter must have seen that coming as he didn't even flinch at Udina's boiling anger. In fact, the Ambassafor thought for a moment he glared into a mirror as he suddenly winced at the Bounty Hunter. One by one, they jumped over the balustrade. The Commanders, followed by the rest of their team, rushed to the railing only to see a small stealth-class ship close its hull and fly off into the traffic of small ships that enter and leave the Citadel simultaneously. Whether it was intentional or not, the Bounty Hunters just showed a critical flaw in the Citadel's security.

"Anderson, we'll discuss your decision to allow a dangerous Bounty Hunter on the _SSV Normandy_ later," Udina grumbled, his anger slowly subsiding. After collecting his thoughts, Udina sighed. "We should go to the Human Embassy. We need to talk to the Citadel Council."

Back in the elevator, the girl talked to the female Bounty Hunter about personal matters. Trevelyan grabbed a small, antiquated cup and looked at it.

_The souvenir of a lifetime, the cup of Captain Anderson. To think this old cup is worth ten million credits..._

"...That explains why I spend so much time with my grandparents," the girl replied.

"I know I should have told you."

"Kind of late, don't you think? Besides, you should let the girl decide."


	4. Favor for a Favor

**Favor for a Favor  
**

* * *

The Bounty Hunter tapped a code into the holographic terminal of the door. The lights of her helmet created two thick beams of light that reached through the room ahead, searching for life signs and concealed traps. She looked over her shoulder at two figures in the distance, nodding twice. Trevelyan lowered his rifle, but instinctively kept the girl behind him. There could be scavengers here, and he didn't want to take any risk.

"Everything clear?"

"I can't detect any life or traps. Perhaps you can find something," she replied, gesturing at Trevelyan to go on ahead. "I'll keep Newt company."

"You do that, Faería. Your daughter will obviously want to know why she spend sixteen years of her life with her grandparents while her mother was out there killing things," Trevelyan said flatly, his voice impassive.

Faería snorted at that, but couldn't blame him for saying it. Trevelyan turned back to the seemingly empty room and activated his Omni-Tool. Unlike the standard glowing orange – it's glowing deep blue that was identical to his visor color. It created small blue particles that spread around the room until everything was coated by it; everything connected to his Omni-Tool, certain objects glowing green. He couldn't detect anything either, but Goliath Team was always very thorough with placing traps undetectable to scanners. But even then, most traps appeared inactive as the building was no longer connected to the Citadel's power grid. Before deciding to give them an all-clear, Trevelyan stepped in himself. He clicked the light switch, testing if it was linked to some fail-safe. Nothing, everything stayed in its dormant state.

"Clear," he said, voice slightly raised to reach out to the hallway.

"Roger that," she replied, walking in with her daughter by her side. Newt coughed at the thick layer of dust that settled in her lungs.

Trevelyan pulled off most of the drapes, allowing the artificial sun to illuminate the room and opened all the windows. Most of the dust vented out, except for a small amount that's harmless. He deactivated his Omni-Tool and started going through all the items in the room. Nothing but old items that aren't worth a single credit in today's market. Faería, however, fiddled with a secured lock leading to the room next door. After rerouting most of the active protocols, the door slid open. This room was still powered thanks to a self-sustaining energy source.

"Wow," Trevelyan remarked, followed by a soft whistle. "To think our base of operations was abandoned a hundred years ago, yet this place is still functional."

"Didn't Goliath Team disappear after returning to the home base?"

"I've never returned there, so I couldn't say nor speculate on..."

Newt walked in, interested in all the _weird_ technology stored. High-tech weaponry, several unfinished suits, and blueprints with Alliance and Turian insignias on them. It'd explain why the Bounty Hunters posed a threat all those years ago, even if they had a valid reason for their actions. Now they're just scattered, most following their own code and rules, but respect each other and don't consider each other enemies. Newt didn't inquire about how it transpired and silently started to inspect the room.

"Now, what do we do?" Trevelyan asked, playing with some boiling fluids. He winced at the smell of it and wiped it off his armored glove. "Give Newt a suit and send her off into the Galaxy?"

"Don't be crazy. I have another idea."

"I can't wait to hear that idea..."

The Bounty Hunter took off her helmet and looked at Trevelyan with an annoyed look. He, too, took his helmet off and threw an even more annoyed look back. While it did make her back off, Faería had a small grin on her face.

"Damn, you look like a ghost." She looked at his pale face with a shocked expression, but her eyes had an amused spark in them.

"Laugh now, but when I die, I will be coming back to haunt you," Trevelyan warned, a serious look on his face.

"How would that be any different from this?"

He didn't dignify that with a response. Faería shook her head as she watched him quietly sitting down in a chair and closed his eyes as the sun warmed his skin. He'd have to sunbathe on some insanely hot planet to get rid of being so pale, the artificial sun of the Citadel wouldn't suffice. She turned back to her earlier duties and grabbed some lightweight armor from a mannequin. Very light, but strong enough to withstand a hit from a Dreadnought Class ship.

"Newt, try this helmet on. See if you like it."

Newt grabbed the helmet and placed it on her head. A weird sensation went through her spine when it sealed around her neck and vented out unwanted particles. It gave the air a whole different taste she'd have to get used to.

"It feels..." She took a deep breath, the clean air settling in her lungs and bloodstream. "...Nice and a little weird. It's certainly something you'd have to get used to."

Her mother chuckled at that. It reminded Faería of her very first time gearing up in a suit, too. She then proceeded to hand Newt the chest piece, though that looked more complicated to put on. Newt looked puzzled at the second part of the suit, trying to find out how to put it on. A soft chuckle ran through the room, Trevelyan smiling at Newt with the chestpiece in her hands.

"First you'll have to put on the under armor. You can't put on the suit yet," Trevelyan said, pointing at gray combat suits to his right.

"Right!" Faería snapped. "It's been so long since someone had to learn this, I forgot the basics."

"Don't worry about it."

Newt placed the chest armor along with the helmet back on the table and walked to the suits. She grabbed the suit closest to her size. It was heavy, at least half an inch thick, and had reinforced padding on the shoulders, chest, abdomen, forearms, shins, and knees. The back was also reinforced, a protective layer covering the spinal area. She looked over her shoulder at Trevelyan and her mother with a look that said everything. They both walked out of the room out of respect for Newt's privacy. After placing it on, it felt a whole lot lighter and actually very protective.

There was some arguing in the other room, but she couldn't hear it. With neither one wearing their helmets, she couldn't tap into their communications – not that she knew how to do that. It sounded like an argument she'd rather not hear or walk into, so Newt decided to gear up herself. If there was anything she learned on her own on Eden Prime, it was figuring out the most complicated things herself. She searched the desk and let out a sigh, irritated.

"Of course, no manuals."

Newt looked at another mannequin and which pieces of armor overlapped each other. While it looked less advanced than the suit she was given, it could still work the same. She proceeded to place the chest armor on her, and it made a hissing sound as it locked in position around her. It didn't put any pressure on her own chest, which must be a good sign. After placing on the shoulders, she noticed the gauntlets slid in position without any trouble, too.

Newt grabbed the boots, sealing every part off within the suit. A sudden flash went through her helmet optics, the screen filling up with information on the wearer of the suit. It requested a test run to which Newt frowned at. Since when do suits requests things?

Faeria and Trevelyan rushed back in, each grabbing their helmet and weapons. He took one moment to look at Newt.

"You geared up yourself? Impressive," he congratulated.

"Shut up, Trevelyan! Now's not the time," Faería sneered, grabbing most of her weapons and handed a pistol to Newt.

"A- A gun?" Newt looked at the gun in her hands, uncomfortable.

"Don't use it. Just stay back unless things go bad and we need to make run for it." She tapped in another code and shield signatures flared up in Newt's suit.

As long as she didn't have to use it, there's no problem. She never wanted to become the same Bounty Hunter like her mother. The three raced down the hallway to the elevator. The door closed, but Trevelyan peeked over the glass opening to look as if waiting for something to happen.

"Are they there?"

Trevelyan narrowed his eyes. A group of people walked towards the room. Not C-Sec – or any group known. Just soldiers in black armor that moved towards the room.

_Saren must've been serious about sending his 'Agents' after me. They look experienced.  
_

"They're here. Take us down," Trevelyan eventually answered.

Faería used her Omni-Tool to redirect some power from the main grid back to the building. The lights flickered on in the halls and elevator. But nothing moved. Everything turned off again and she growled at her own Omni-Tool.

"What's going on?"

"Something in the Presidium caused a failure on the main power grid. Everything is without power," she answered.

"There are only five, we can take them down." Trevelyan readied his pistol as he suggested that. "If we can, don't kill them. Just neutralize them, I need information on these guys..."

"...Because they might know something you need?" Faería finished.

He remained quiet, but nodded. They walked out, and he turned to Newt who looked up to him. He didn't say anything as he didn't want to leave her alone in the elevator in case there are more soldiers and kept quiet. They ghosted down the hallway until they reached the room. Faería peeked around the corner, spotting two of the five soldiers. She held up two fingers at Trevelyan who joined her position.

He pointed at the one near the door. They slunk in, Faería sneaking up to the one near the door and Trevelyan the other. He stepped on a crumbled piece of paper and stopped his movement. Faería also stopped moving and looked at Trevelyan who remained unmoving as the soldier before him began sensing them. The soldier eventually dropped his shoulders and relaxed.

Suddenly a gunshot rang. Not in the room, but the hallway: Shotgun make.

Faería snapped into action, grabbing the soldier by the head and twisted the neck around. Trevelyan slammed the soldier's arm out of the way, breaking the bone and headbutted him in the face. More shots rang from the hallway, now assault rifle and pistol rounds joining in. Back in the room, Faería and Trevelyan made short work of the remaining three. His radar indicated an unidentified target standing by Newt.

"Hmm... Fist's forces are weak. I wanted a challenge," a deep voice said, echoing through the hall and into the room.

A large, bulky figured walked in with Newt under his arm, both unscathed. The Krogan walked up to Trevelyan.

"As always, a pain in the ass to find."

"Urdnot Wrex. To what do I owe this..."

"...Pleasure?" Wrex finished.

"No, that's not it." Trevelyan chuckled and Wrex joined in. "Why are you here? You aren't one of Saren's agents, are you?"

"The Shadow Broker hired me to kill Fist. He betrayed the Shadow Broker by joining Saren and that Spectre we all love had his agents looking for you, so I thought I'd stop by." Wrex handed Trevelyan a datapad with information on Fist's ties with Saren.

"Wow, never thought Fist would have the stones to betray the Shadow Broker," Trevelyan muttered, reading the last bits on the datapad. "Mind if I tag along? Maybe there's information I could use."

"As long as you let me kill the target this time."

"Done."

Faería went through the power grid of the Presidium again. It was restored to full power, so they could use the elevator again. Though this time she'd have to increase the junk traffic in the Citadel Security Network to remain undetected while doing it. With the elevator functional, they managed to arrive at the Wards until she lost control over the power grid.

"This is as far as were getting," Faería said flatly.

Wrex went ahead after discussing where to meet up before entering Chora's Den. Trevelyan followed, but his movement was halted by a hand on his shoulder. Faería pulled him back and let out a sigh as she stared at Newt in the back.

"I need a favor to ask," she started. "I want Newt to go with you."

"Come again," Trevelyan replied, his words piercing through her. "You want your daughter to come with me while every other Bounty Hunter says I'm on a quest that will kill me... That's absurd and I decline."

"After my last mission, I'm retiring – and the mission isn't something I want Newt to be part of. You, on the other hand, are not like the others and that would fit Newt's desire perfectly."

"What is this 'desire' Newt wants?"

"Ask her, and decide. I'm leaving tonight with the others."

"A favor for a favor, then," Trevelyan offered, obvious to him he couldn't dissuade the Bounty Hunter.

"What do you want?"

"I need information of Saren's top lieutenant."

What he always wants. Faería agreed and shook his hand. She couldn't promise anything, of course and he didn't expect to hear anything from her after this, but it was worth a shot. He watched her off until she disappeared into the crowds of the Wards. Trevelyan heard some footsteps walk up to him and he turned towards the sound. Newt stood behind him, her helmet in her hands and a troubled look written on her face.

"She left, didn't she?" Newt asked, head lowered.

"She did it to protect you. And your mother wanted you to stay with me, learn things from me," he answered honestly. "Even if you agree with that, I have to ask you something. Your mother said you have a different desire than the other Bounty Hunters. What is it?"

"A good Bounty Hunter," Newt answered. She could tell from his posture he needed more information than that. "Someone who protects the weak and innocent. Like you, just like you are."

Trevelyan unconsciously took a step back, wondering how he is related to that very thing. Perhaps Faería somehow distorted the truth about him after all. Still, it's a less violent path he thought Newt wanted to walk and his doubts dissipated. The two Bounty Hunters nodded at each other while they walked into the crowds of the Wards. They had an hour – so this was the perfect opportunity to start with some basics and weapon shopping.

"Alright, we may as well start with looking for a suitable weapon for you," Trevelyan worded carefully, scanning every weapon he could find.

"I already have a modified pistol from my mother," Newt replied, handing Trevelyan the pistol.

He carefully inspected it and pulled Newt out of the crowds with him. A blue laser sight appeared as he held down a button and aimed his hand. It's one of the few prototype developments they made, this one being a product of the Alliance's Offensive Handgun Project: Phalanx. Designed to be effective only against armored or shielded targets, but the Bounty Hunters of Goliath Team designed it to also be effective against barriers and less recoil when fired, too.

"Hmm," Trevelyan hummed as he finished his assessment on the gun. "This will definitely do. I'll see if I can develop something for you to use later. I don't want you to run around with just a pistol, not matter how strong it is."

"Okay," Newt said, placing the pistol on her hip. She activated her Omni-Tool and looked at the time. "Should we go to Chora's Den? It's almost time."

Trevelyan nodded. Keeping Wrex waiting would be a bad idea, so they picked up the pace. He'd have to tell the rest of Newt's suit and its abilities later. The two raced down the stairs and ran down the lower section of the Wards into another hall. Wrex looked up at the sound of footsteps walking to his position and looked surprised when he realized Trevelyan had company with him. Not that it bothered him – they were just playing favors for each other.

"I see you brought the girl. Newt was it?"

"Yeah, it's a long story."

Some civilians ran past them, terrified. The two raised their weapons and peered around the corner. The lights of Chora's Den were off and shadows moved into positions ahead.

"Fist knows we are here..."

"At least we know what's waiting for us ahead," Trevelyan replied and looked over his shoulder at Newt. "Aim at the shoulders and kneecaps. Use the laser sight to aim."

Newt nodded and crouched next to the Bounty Hunter and Krogan Battlemaster. Somehow Trevelyan thought it'd still be better for Newt to go with her mother instead, but it's too late to change that now. They moved ahead and looked confused at the shadows ahead. They weren't waiting for them, but for something on the inside. Whatever Saren's forces were fighting, they had it pinned down deep in Chora's Den.


	5. Different Goals, Same Path

**Different Goals, Same Path  
**

* * *

Six against thirty, and the opposition knew the odds were in their favor. But the six were used to brawls like this, ones that seemed to deem them clearly outnumbered. Numbers didn't matter. The squad was strong, determent, fierce and advanced, far too competent to fall to such mindless, low-life mercenaries.

Only, these weren't simple mercenaries.

Saren's forces made another push for it, this time more aggressive and stronger. Three ran through the molten door ahead, only to meet their demise at the hands of a skilled Marksman. The first shot tore through the soldier's shields and armor, and impacted in the one behind him. He twitched his mandibles, looking down his scope to search for more attackers. They couldn't make a run for it yet, and the opposition took their time with the squad – which made it even worse. The attackers ahead were just a mere distraction. They will find a way in.

"Vakarian, think we can make a run for it?" John asked, taking cover behind what was left of a wall.

"Negative," Vakarian answered, his voice impassive. The Turian scanned the area ahead, considering alternatives. "But we'll have to. Otherwise we're trapped in here and the Quarian will die."

The Commander looked over his shoulder as he held three fingers up at the door ahead. They made a run for it, well aware they might die instead of coming out as the victor. That was until they realized their timing was impeccable. Saren's forces were distracted by other incoming targets from the main entrance, unidentified. The heat of the sea of flames hung around their shields and barriers, but they made it into the main hub of Chora's Den, engaging the hostiles. John spotted a disorientated person walking around. He elbowed her backwards and she crawled over the ground away from him. He moved in for the finishing blow when his fist met with someone else instead. An armored gauntlet countered his swing in midair. John looked up at the Bounty Hunter from Eden Prime, unable to hold the surprise on his face back.

An explosion polluted the air and a wall crumbled to pieces. Unable to hold the weight any longer, a large part of the roof collapsed.

More of Saren's forces swarmed in from the destroyed wall, heavier armed and firing mercilessly. Trevelyan pushed the Commander out of the line of fire and turned to Newt to help her up. With the air heavily polluted, and a sea of fire around them, visors flickered on the keep on fighting – silhouettes highlighted with green and red outlines. Jane tagged the three as allies and engaged the others. She used her biotics to easily pick up three crates and slam them into a squad of hostiles, crushing them with minimal effort.

Vakarian had himself positioned in the perfect spot between cover, picking off hostiles that were foolish enough to enter through the main entrance or destroyed wall. Wrex threw a grenade, but it exploded midway and created a chain reaction through the bottles of liquor, vaporizing several soldiers. After taking significant losses, the hostiles retreated back into the Wards. The Commanders and their squad followed them while Wrex, Newt and Trevelyan stayed back to finish their own agendas.

"We don't have much time left!"

Gunfire rang ahead. The Commanders ran into the back-alley of the Wards, only to find a Quarian caught in a crossfire between her and three Assassins. Scans indicated the Quarian had multiple suit ruptures that require immediate medical assistance. John stormed down the stairs, using his tech skills to rip the shields apart. Jane followed by picking every Assassin off with well-placed shots. The Quarian struggled to get to her feet and looked at a hand being offered. She looked up at the owner and took the Commander's hand.

"Are you hurt...?" John asked, hinting to want to know her name.

"My name is Tali," she answered. "I can repair my suit ruptures on my own, not that I don't appreciate the help. Who are you?"

"I'm Commander Shepard and I am looking for evidence against Saren."

"Then I have a chance to repay for saving my life, but not here. We should go somewhere safe," Tali suggested, almost purring the words.

Vakarian grabbed Tali's arm and swung it over his shoulder to give her support to walk. The seven of them walked back to the entrance of the Wards where Wrex along with the other two stood waiting for them. John dragged his gaze to Newt who stood next to Trevelyan.

"How is she?" He asked, worried for any permanent damage.

"Fine. The armor absorbed most of the damage," Trevelyan answered, a little irritated by the Commander's actions, but couldn't blame him. There was no way of telling if they came in to fight or assist.

"What will you three do now?" Jane asked, piqued what the answer would be. "We could always use more hands to take down Saren."

Trevelyan tilted his head towards Newt, muttering something indistinctively. The two seemed to have to come an agreement as they nodded at each other. Newt unconsciously held Trevelyan's arm, still in slight shock of what she witnessed during the assault on Chora's Den.

"We'll help," he offered.

"Why do I have a feeling you have a more personal agenda with Saren?"

"Not with Saren, but his Operative." Trevelyan cleared that up, but refused to give up more information.

Jane narrowed her eyes at that, but shook his hand in agreement. If it was something personal, she didn't want to inquire any further unless he would come with it himself. Newt stayed back, observing every movement and handling. Wrex agreed as well, shaking hands with John. Now with a group of ten who agreed to help and have impressive feats recorded, they might just make it through this task to stop Saren. The group walked back into the markets of the Wards where they were greeted by a group of C-Sec Officers. Executor Pallin twitched his mandibles curiously as he looked at each member of the Commander's team, not pleased.

Detective Chellick returned the favor, whispering something to the Executor who nodded. After leaving the Wards, they arrived at the Human Embassy on the Presidium. Ambassador Udina had the same sour expression on his face as before, finding the reports on Chora's Den unacceptable and looked around him. The Bounty Hunter from Eden Prime tended to a dark purple bruise on the girl's chin and her bleeding lip. John elegantly balanced a combat knife on the tip of his armored finger and played with a trinket he got from the Asari Consort. The Quarian tended to her suit ruptures with the help of Vakarian and Jane while the rest sat quietly in their seats.

The door slid open. Captain Anderson joined the men inside and closed the door behind him. The Alliance soldiers got up and saluted the Captain. He counted the people among the Commanders and nodded, impressed. The Captain sat down in the remaining chair and turned to Udina who had his face cupped in his hands.

"Now that everyone is hear, we should get started," Udina said, annoyed. He looked up and dragged his cold glare to the Commanders. "But I'll start with you two... Firefights in the Wards?! An all-out assault on Chora's Den! Reports say it will take at least a month to fully repair the damage! Do you know how many-"

"In fact, it was a lot more fun than the way you make it sound, you dull stone," Wrex cut in. The Ambassador dragged his gaze to the Krogan who petted his shotgun playfully, eager to mess with the Ambassador. Udina wisely backed off and turned to the Quarian.

"Let's just start at the beginning, Miss...?"

"My name is Tali. Tali' Zorah nar Rayya," she reintroduced, her glowing eyes looking at everyone in the room. Some smiled at her while others patiently and quietly waited for the new information.

"I haven't seen Quarians on the Citadel for a long time. How come you're here?" John asked, sheathing the combat knife. He leaned forward with a gentle smile on his face.

"I was on my Pilgrimage, my rite of passage into adulthood. It is a tradition among my people. When we reach maturity, we leave the ships of parents and people behind. Alone we search the stars, only returning to the Flotilla once we have discovered something of value. In this way, we prove ourselves worthy of adulthood," Tali explained, surprised a Human showed interest in it.

"Maybe we can help you with that, but can you show us what you found?"

"Of course. I managed to retrieve this from a Geth's audio banks." Tali's Omni-Tool appeared around her arm – a beautiful lavender purple glow – and she tapped in some codes.

_Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit._

_...And one step closer to the return of the Reapers._

"Reapers," Trevelyan whispered, staring in front of him for a moment. He set the thought aside and returned to tending to Newt's bleeding lip. Newt had her eyes narrowed, wondering what he knows about the Reapers.

"I've heard that name before," John remarked, a pained thought showing in his mind.

"Yeah, me too," Jane said.

The vision of the Prothean Beacon, it made sense now. They saw the Protheans being exterminated by the Reapers. The Commanders were stuck in the vision that lingered on their eyelids. Chaos... Destruction... Death...

"I don't know what these 'Reapers' are, but this is the evidence we need against Saren," the Ambassador concluded, a huge relief to him. A huge burden just fell off his shoulders. "Anderson, the Quarian, the Commanders, and I will go to the Citadel Tower and show this evidence."

"What are we supposed to do?" Jenkins asked. The Corporal shifted his gaze to the Captain who left the decision up to the Commanders.

"You guys explore the Presidium a little. We'll meet up at the C-Sec Academy," John suggested. The team didn't object and nodded.

The team left the Human Embassy and disappeared into the Presidium, each going about their own interests. Captain Anderson and Ambassador Udina also left for the Citadel Tower with Tali following them. Jane collected her bearings, finishing up most of her things and turned to her brother who sat quietly in the chair, staring at the artificial sun. He bore a dark expression on his face – without a doubt related to the Reapers – and remained unmoving.

"Are you coming?" Jane asked, concerned and walked up to him. It wasn't until now she realized he was thinking deeply about something.

"Yeah..."

The Commander snapped out of his thought, and got out of the chair. Still doubting whether he was truly out of the thought, Jane scanned him with her Omni-Tool. No signs of stress or anything. While it didn't soothe her nerves, they walked down the Presidium to the Citadel Tower. Along the way they saw Wrex and Vakarian look at several statues in the lake. Jenkins and Alenko were window shopping by the Emporium, and Williams was busy helping Samesh Bhatia. Trevelyan and Newt were the only ones absent on the Presidium.

They entered the elevator leading to the Citadel Tower, watching the Presidium becoming a blurry image in the distance. Jane moved her red hair back, tying it up in a ponytail. John, however, was back in thought and tried to decipher what the Reapers really are. Ancient Machines that the Geth worship is crazy, but there had to be more behind it.

A sudden shift caused the elevator to rumble a little.

The door slid open. The Citadel Tower was just as dull and boring as ever. Politicians still focusing on their own problems and affairs. It's almost like Eden Prime never happened to them. The two Commanders climbed the stairs where Captain Anderson greeted them and guided them to the balcony.

…_Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit._

_...And one step closer to the return of the Reapers._

"You wanted proof. There it is!" Udina said, happy he could rub it in the Council's noses that they were wrong all along.

"This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador," the Turian Council replied, voice brittle but not pleased that they were wrong after all. "Saren will be stripped from his Spectre status and all effort will be made to bring him in to answer for his crimes."

"I recognize the other voice, the one speaking with Saren. Matriarch Benezia," the Asari Counciler said, her expression troubled.

"I've heard of her. She's quite powerful on Thessia, isn't she?" John remarked.

"I'm more interested in the Reapers. What do you know about them?" The Salarian Councilor asked, interested in what new information he could acquire on them.

"Only what was extracted from the Geth's memory core. The Reapers were an ancient race of machines that wiped out the Protheans. Then they vanished. The Geth believe the Reapers are Gods. And Saren is the prophet for their return," Captain Anderson answered, occasionally looking at Tali if he got it right.

"We think the Conduit is the key to bringing them back. Saren's searching for it. That's why he attacked Eden Prime," John added.

"Do we know what this Conduit is?" The Salarian Councilor asked, assessing its potential as a threat.

"Saren thinks it can bring back the Reapers. That's bad enough," John replied, a warning tone in his voice.

"Listen to what you're saying! Saren wants to bring back the machines that wiped out all life in the Galaxy? Impossible. It has to be," the Turian Councilor said, unable to accept the information. He twitched his mandibles uncontrollably and turned to the other Councilors. "Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? How come we've found no trace of their existence? Of they were real, we'd have found something!"

"We tried to warn you about Saren, and you refused to face the truth. Don't make the same mistake again," Jane warned, stepping in to back her brother up.

"This is different. You've proved that Saren betrayed the Council. We all agree he's using the Geth to search for the Conduit, but we don't really know why," the Asari Councilor explained, trying to calm the discussion down. As always, discussions between Humans and the Citadel Council got heated fast.

"The Reapers are just a myth, Commanders. A convenient lie to cover Saren's true purpose. A legend he is using to bend the Geth to his will."

"Fifty thousand years ago, the Reapers wiped out all Galactic civilization. If Saren finds the Conduit, it will happen again!" John growled, taking a step forward.

"He's is hiding somewhere in the Traverse. Send you fleet in!" Udina sneered, clenching his hand into a fist.

"No. We can take Saren down." The Commanders offered in unison, aware of the risk of sending a fleet in. It could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems, which is even worse.

"The Commanders are right. There is a way to stop Saren that doesn't require fleets of armies." The Asari Councilor agreed.

"No! It's too soon. Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres," the Turian Councilor growled, clinging to his previous statements.

"You don't have to send a fleet into the Traverse, and the Ambassador gets his Human Spectres. Everybody is happy."

After that, the Turian Councilor's resistance was gone. The Asari Councilor looked at him, waiting for his final verdict. He twitched his mandibles, coming to a conclusion and then nodded. It wasn't as much an agreement, but more a sigh of defeat. Though the Turian Councilor was, in heart, curious how the Commanders would do.

"Commanders Shepard – step forward," the Councilors requested.

Both Commanders looked at each other and turned to Captain Anderson who had a grin of admiration on his face. Politicians and civilians alike gathered on the balconies above them, watching the Commanders.

"It is the decision of the Citadel Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Branch of the Citadel."

"Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file."

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will."

"Spectres bear a great burden. They are the protectors of Galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the Galaxy is theirs to uphold."

"You two are the first Human Spectres, Commanders. This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species," the Asari Councilor congratulated.

"We're honored, Councilors."

"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life."

"You are authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him."

"We will forward any relevant data to Ambassador Udina."

"This meeting of the Citadel Council is adjourned."

"Wait, who is the 'first' Human Spectre?" John asked. His question earned him a glare from his sister.

"You two are introduced into the Spectres at the same time. You two are the first Human Spectres," the Salarian Councilor explained, observing the two.

Captain Anderson shook their hands as he congratulated them. Udina had a concerned look on his face as he scratched his chin. While he couldn't hide the fact he was more than pleased Humanity got its first Human Spectres – it came with a whole new heap of problems.

"We've got a lot of work to do, Shepard. You're going to need a ship, a crew, supplies... Anderson, come with me. I'll need your help to set all this up." Ambassador Udina and Captain Anderson quickly left to make the changes necessary.

The three were left alone on the balcony, but they finally felt one step closer to stopping Saren. With renewed energy, they made their way back to the elevator. Jane activated her Omni-Tool, sending out messages to the rest of the team to go to the rendezvous point at the C-Sec Academy. Acknowledgment lights flickered on her Omni-Tool. The blurry vision of the Presidium in the distance became clearer and with each inch closer to it, they felt one step closer to stopping Saren. Only time will tell how long they could hold on to that feeling.


	6. The SSV Normandy

**The SSV Normandy  
**

* * *

The Commanders walked around the corner and into the C-Sec Academy. Wrex's big, bulky, red armor that towered over most was the first thing they saw as it stood out. The Alliance soldiers of their team saluted the Commanders as they walked up to them. Out of respect, the others bowed with their heads at the first Human Spectres, being some of the first few to serve with them. The team made a quick run by the C-Sec Requisitions Officer, taking most of the Spectre class weaponry. The Commander tapped her finger on the holographic terminal of the elevator.

"You've got to be kidding. Who was the genius that decided we should all get into a tiny, crappy elevator?" Wrex complained, bumping into the others on accident.

"It could have been worse, you know," Trevelyan replied, pushing his body into the wall of the elevator to create more space.

"Humor me. How could it possibly be worse?"

"Imagine if it had a weight limit..."

John's eyes lightened up at those words. The elevator did move slower than usual. Wrex jerked his head towards Trevelyan, staring at him the whole time without blinking. The team stayed silent as they watched different levels flash by every minute, none particularly interested in creating a conversation in the cramped elevator. They arrived at the dock with a soft bump and the glass door slid up. The team ran out of the elevator, inhaling the fresh air of the dock. The Ambassador had his eyes closed at the group. Something caught John's eye in the distance.

"There it is! I've been looking for that last one," he grumbled, walking passed the Ambassador and Captain to a Keeper in the back. He knelt next to it with a small, hand-held device to scan it. His Omni-Tool lit up with an incoming payment, along with a bonus for completing the scans. He walked back to the rest of the team who looked at him expectantly.

"What?" The Commander asked, oblivious.

"If you are done playing around, Commander, I've got good news," Udina said, walking up to the team with Captain Anderson following him. The Ambassador looked over his shoulder at the Captain and back at the Commanders. "Captain Anderson is stepping down as Captain of the _SSV __Normandy_. The ship is yours now."

"She's quick, and quiet and you know the crew. A perfect ship for Spectres," Anderson added. Jane noticed his change in posture; shoulders hanged and his eyes lacking the determination he usually had – the former Captain kept something from them, but she didn't inquire about it.

"We won't let you down, sir," John replied, also aware of Anderson's sudden change. He dragged his gaze back to the Ambassador. "Has the Council send any new leads?"

"Yes, but I'll start with our own leads. We have recently lost contact with one of our colonies on Feros. Before we lost contact, there have been sightings of Geth in the area. The second this is: Saren has a facility on Noveria, there may be possible leads to follow up on there. The Council's new lead is on Matriarch Benezia. She has a daughter, Doctor Liara T'Soni. Reports say she's on a planet in the Artemis Tau Cluster."

"I think we should start there," Jane suggested.

"Yeah, I agree."

"It's your decision, Commanders. You two are Spectres – you no longer report to us," Anderson clarified.

"Yes, but your actions still reflect on Humanity as a whole. You two make a mess and I'll be the one to clean it up," the Ambassador added, a tint of warning in his voice.

"I was looking forward to blowin-"

"We'll be careful," Jane reassured, cutting off her brother's sentence. She could hear him chuckle softly, still intending on joking around Ambassador Udina.

The Ambassador and former Captain took their leave. The team walked down the tunnel, some in awe as their were about to set foot on the most advanced ship in Citadel Space. Wrex groaned at the small airlock, unconsciously taking a step back. The Commanders took notice of it, but felt the same about it. They split up in two and Jane's group went first. The decontamination screen burned off all bacteria on their armor. After everyone set foot aboard, some decided to check the ship out. Williams kept her eyes on Vakarian and Wrex and followed them.

The Commanders walked to the pilot, Jeff 'Joker' Moreau, who had his eyes closed at how Captain Anderson was sidelined in less than a minute. While Joker didn't mention it, he knew it could happen to the Commanders, too. John leaned forward and opened a COM across the entire _SSV __Normandy_.

"This is Commander Shepard speaking."

"We have our orders: Find Saren before he finds the Conduit. I won't lie to you, crew. This mission isn't going to be easy."

"For too long has our species stood apart from the others. Now it's time for us to step up and do our part for the Galaxy! Time to show them what Humans are made of!"

Their team and the crew of the _SSV __Normandy_ stopped doing their activities and gathered around as they patiently listened to the speech echoing through the halls of the ship. John stepped aside and gave his sister room to talk through the COM.

"Our enemy knows we're coming. When we go into the Traverse, Saren's followers will be waiting for us. But we'll be ready for them, too."

"Humanity needs to do this. Not just for our own sake, but for the sake of every other species in Citadel Space. Saren must be stopped, and I promise you all... we will stop him!"

"Can we forge against these enemies a grand and Galactic alliance, Turian and Human, Krogan and Quarian, that can assure a more fruitful life for all in the Galaxy? Will you join in the historic effort?"

"Well said, Commanders. Captain Anderson would be proud," Joker congratulated. He placed his cap back on, ready to head out. John reached out to the control panel and reopened the COM.

"The team is requested to gather in the COM Room, asap."

The Commanders walked into the COM Room. There was a circle of chairs, most occupied by their team. Trevelyan looked around him and noticed Williams keeping tabs on Vakarian and Wrex. He was about to say something about it when the Commander sat down in the empty seat next to him. Jane looked at the Bounty Hunter next to her who leaned back, though she could tell he wanted to do something. She looked at him with her brow furrowed, but with his helmet on, Jane couldn't tell if he looked at her at all.

"We have three leads. Our best bet is to start by locating Doctor T'Soni," John started, sending the information to everyone's Omni-Tools.

"Artemis Tau Cluster? That's mostly unexplored," Trevelyan remarked. "You should have your pilot scan for planets with Prothean structures to narrow down the search."

"Joker, hear that?"

"_Roget that, Commander,_" Joker replied over the COM. "_Estimated scan completion: three hours._"

"That's one thing. The second thing is that we'll have to change several things aboard the Normandy. More room, to be exact. We've made preparations to create more room and if there's anything you need to get from the Citadel, you have six hours before we leave," John added, showing the blueprints of the _SSV __Normandy_. It showed several decks that would be emptied.

"Permission to bring over some tech and use Deck Twelve for training," Trevelyan requested.

"Granted." Jane scratched her brow and looked at the others. "We'll be on the CIC if you need us."

Gunnery Chief Williams followed the Commanders out with a datapad in her hands, troubled. Most left the Normandy to finish up any business on the Citadel. When they arrived back at the Presidium, they quickly disappeared into the crowds.

* * *

**Two Hours Later: Abandoned Facility**

Trevelyan stored the last few items in the box, leaving nothing of Goliath Team's research behind. It's what they would've wanted. He handed some small, lightweight boxes to Newt who placed them into a shuttle occupied by Bounty Hunters. She caught a quick glimpse of a blood-red Raptor insignia on the Hunter's shoulder. Trevelyan joined her position, placing the last crate inside. Newt looked over his armor for any insignias. Unlike her mother or Raptor Team, his armor bore no markings or emblems. The hatch closed and they all sat down. They barely managed to fit in as the shuttle was overflowing with materials and objects.

"Thanks, Raptor Leader. I owe you for this," Trevelyan thanked. He read over some handwritten notes, trying to find some schematics to put to good use.

"Don't mention it. I actually kind of like this delivery. ETA to the _SSV Normandy_: Fives minutes," the pilot replied, keeping the shuttle steady with the extra weight – a lot of extra weight.

Raptor Leader managed to slip past C-Sec's control post and into the docks. The shuttle sheered up in a dangerous angle towards Dock 422. Trevelyan joined Raptor Leader in the pilot's seat and looked through the window ahead. Tali and Vakarian were inspecting the Normandy from the outside, pointing at several parts that stood out. Raptor Leader kept the shuttle steady just above the railing. When everything was placed on the Dock, the leader handed Trevelyan a datapad. It's an encrypted transmission and he thanked Raptor Leader before they departed into the sea of Nebula.

"...I'm just saying, Commanders. They shouldn't have free rein to poke around the systems."

"Duly noted, Williams. But you'll have to work with non-humans on this mission."

Trevelyan bumped into the Commanders and Williams as he and Newt walked into the Mess. Several Alliance soldiers carried sealed crates into the back of the Medical Bay. They had to move around more than he thought. The soldiers continued to walk back and forth with crates, not taking a break.

_Redecorating really isn't their area of expertise..._

They returned to Dock Twelve where all their crates were stored. Newt heard some scuffling on the other side of the elevator. A person went through the crates as if searching for something. Though it was probably just out of curiosity. Another figure walked around a stack of crates.

"Something I can help you with, Vakarian and Tali?" Trevelyan asked, surprising them with his presence.

"Please, call me Garrus. We were just looking around a little. I hope it isn't any trouble..." Garrus waited for the Bounty Hunter to introduce himself.

"I'm Trevelyan. And it's no trouble, we were about to set everything up," he introduced.

"I'm Newt."

Garrus looked at the girl behind Trevelyan, his mandibles twitching curiously. He didn't expect her to have a gentle, sweet voice. They walked up to Garrus and Tali who had unpacked some crates. Suits mostly. Luckily nothing about Goliath Team. Everything went a lot faster and smoother with extra help and almost everything was perfectly placed on the Deck. Just some minor items left to place and power sources to activate.

"I saw you had help of Raptor Team," Garrus remarked, handing Trevelyan a charge. He twitched his mandibles as he saw Tali and Newt work at a desk, chuckling.

"You know of Raptor Team, huh? Did they do anything illegal on the Citadel?" The Bounty Hunter pointed at an opening on the other side of the grid.

"No. They actually help C-Sec with things that our outside of our jurisdiction and Spectres can't be bothered with," he answered. As Garrus placed another charge in the opening, it made some buzzing noises and everything linked to the power supply flared up with energy signatures.

"Funny. Raptor Team had to sneak around the C-Sec–"

"What are you doing?" Another voice asked, yet it sounded like a demand.

Garrus looked over his shoulder in the direction of the elevator. They didn't even hear it open. Williams looked at the four, arms crossed. Trevelyan noticed the Gunnery Chief didn't pay attention to him, Newt or the Quarian – just Garrus. That's when it hit him. She followed Garrus and Wrex around earlier, but he couldn't place why. Worried for potential security leaks? It was all possible.

"Williams, need me for something?" Vakarian asked, twitching his mandibles.

"What are you doing with all this technology?"

"It's mine," Trevelyan answered just before Garrus could.

Williams dragged her cold glare to Trevelyan who remained unaffected. He walked up to her, his boots creating loud thuds with each step he took. She wisely took a step back.

"The Commanders gave me permission to bring it on-board. Garrus is helping me. Is that a problem?"

"No. It's not," Williams replied, but the threat in her voice was still present. She turned her back to them and walked back into the elevator. Just before it closed, she could feel the Bounty Hunter's eyes burn on her.

"Keelah, I didn't know Humans were so against other species," Tali remarked, one of her glowing eyes narrowed.

"I don't think Ashley is. Probably just worried about security risks," Garrus said, also telling it to himself as he hoped that was the case.

"There must be more to it than that," Trevelyan added. "But it doesn't matter... For now."

An orange holographic panel appeared over the desk's surface. He tapped in several authorization codes, restarting the protocols from the beginning. A flash of light came from the desk, spreading over the floor until it was covered in it. Tali walked around and noticed the floor under her flared up when her foot made contact with it. The orange particles hovered in the air, materializing into solid objects. Garrus walked up to Trevelyan who continued entering codes.

"Some interesting tech. What's it for?" Garrus asked.

"Training simulations for Newt. Just adding some finishing touches," the Bounty Hunter answered. He pressed a green light and a large portion of the particles returned to the desk, creating a smaller simulation area.

"Is it for Newt only? I'd like to see what it's got," Garrus replied, some excitement brimming in his brittle voice.

"I don't see a problem with it. Sure," Trevelyan answered.

Some static over the COM drew their attention. Everyone on the ship stopped doing their activities and waited for the message. There was some unclear muttering on the other side of the COM before the pilot cleared his throat.

"_The team is requested to the Mess Hall._"

They arrived at the Mess where the Commanders talked to Wrex, both writing something down on a datapad. They sat down in some unoccupied chairs by Williams who looked at a rosary in her hand. There was a gold, antique locket attached to it with a picture of a man in it. Jane walked up to the five sitting by the table. Tali looked at three Alliance soldiers walking out of the Medical Bay. They didn't have their standard armor on and all of them were covered in sweat from carrying heavy crates.

"John and I are making a list of our team and food. Jenkins and Alenko are on the Citadel doing some grocery shopping. What do you guys want? We can fetch up most anything," the Commander explained.

"I'll send a list of ingredients to Alenko. I can make it myself," Tali replied, her Omni-Tool glowing around her left forearm.

"I'll also send it to Alenko directly. Saves you from having to do it," Garrus added.

Williams and Newt did the same. Something that was a relief to the Commander who also looked exhausted from carrying crates back and forth throughout the ship. Trevelyan relaxed and leaned back in the chair. Jane took a big gulp from a cup of coffee, her face turning bitter.

"How can you drink coffee when your sweating so much?" He asked.

"Keeps me cold."

A chuckle escaped his mouth as he stared at the Commander. She went with her fingers through her hair, moving it back and got out of the chair. Her brother walked into the Medical Bay and disappeared in the back. Several tasks on her datapad flickered green, indicating those were complete. Another message came in, a blue light flickering on the datapad. Jane furrowed her brow curiously as she read the message.

"We'll be leaving in two hours. Joker finished scanning for planets – we got one: Therum," she started and looked up at the others sitting at the table. "Get comfortable on the ship and get some rest. We don't know what Saren's got waiting for us there."

Trevelyan and Newt returned to Deck Twelve. He finished setting up one of the beds for Newt to get some rest while he continued some of the other minor things left to do. The datapad he got from Raptor Leader piqued his interest. Trevelyan activated it and looked at the heavy encryption on it. It would take time – a lot of time to decrypt so it had to be of some significant importance. It could wait. Trevelyan turned to Newt's suit to run some diagnostics on it, but in the back of his head, he remained focused on his own goal.


	7. Dust and Ruins

**Dust and Ruins  
**

* * *

The Cargo Bay opened. Blinding gleams of the sun crawled in, impairing everyone's vision momentarily. The Mako left the bay, closing in on the surface. The team had their arms crossed across their chest, bracing for descend. The Mako activated the thrusters as the ground came closer and closer. They rocked back and forth in their seats as they landed on Therum, a barren deserted planet. Their eyes slowly adjusted to the blinding sun. Jane let out a sigh of relief as she noticed the Mako barely managed to avoid the molten sulphur next to them.

"Everyone alright?" John asked. Several green lights flickered on his tactical HUD in response. He turned to his sister who reached for the controls. "Keep her steady."

The Commander slowly drove around the sea of molten sulphur to avoid it. The hull reached some critical heat levels as she drove around a corner. They noticed a shadow over the Mako and a Geth ship flew over them. Two more appeared. The ships dropped Geth Shock Troopers and Armatures on the road ahead. Kaidan who had been slouching in the backseat, leaped forward.

"Commander, watch out!"

She steered to the right. Vaporous Geth plasma flickered on the Mako's front wheel and spread over the hull. John targeted the Geth with the Mako's weaponry, annihilating Geth ground troops with ease, but the Armatures proved a tougher challenge. The vehicle rocked as they drove over destroyed pieces of Geth. At least a dozen more Geth ships appeared in the sky, dropping more hostiles.

"Damn, there are too many for the Mako's system to target," John growled. He tapped an authorization code into the panel. "I'm going manual on this one."

_Damn, not once has anyone overridden those controls. A man's perception couldn't surpass that of a machine – not even an N7 soldier._

Jane couldn't get her eyes off the road, but wasn't pleased with her brother's action. It would either prove more effective, or be their death. She continued to avoid most of the incoming gunfire while her brother manually engaged the targets. The Mako's targeting systems went haywire as it shifted from target to target in nanoseconds. The rest of the team in the back bumped back and forth as the vehicle rocked over rubble and pieces of Geth. They managed to get through a winding road and reached a blockade ahead – Geth had turrets set up to halt their progression.

"Rolling down the front door seems stupid. Perhaps we can find a side-window?" Tali suggested, holding the harness around her tightly.

"No, let's get into some action!" Wrex shouted over the Geth's incoming gunfire, readying his shotgun. It was modified with a unique scope and handle for less recoil and better aim.

While they talked in the back, John destroyed the three turrets before they could return fire. But the Geth managed to close the door. Jane peered around her for another way in and spotted a small creak to their left. The Mako barely fit, but she got it through. They arrived at a small encampment. John targeted the ground forces and vaporized them all. The switch to open the doors had to be in one these buildings. They left the Mako, securing the perimeter. Jane looked at her brother whose arms were shaking uncontrollably.

_So that's what adrenaline does to his time perception. Impressive._

Trevelyan checked Newt's suit heat signatures – all within safe limits. This planet was hot as if there was a thin surface of rock between them and molten sulphur beneath the earth. John entered one of the buildings, Jane keeping his back covered. No hostiles. He pressed an older type of button. The large, metal door ahead slid down, screeching with every inch it moved.

"Rendezvous back at the Mako," Jane ordered over the COM.

"This heat is unbearable," Kaidan breathed. Williams and Tali nodded at him – it felt like they were being boiled alive in their suits. Why someone would visit this planet was beyond them.

"Palaven is hot, but even that doesn't come close to this heat," Garrus remarked, keeping his sniper raised. He could feel something watching them, but nothing but hot dust motes surrounded them.

The door of the Mako closed behind them, a slightly cooler temperature inside. They slowly drove through a valley. It was too quiet. A large cloud of dust emerged over the hill ahead of them. Five Geth ships silhouettes appeared through it and moved towards the Mako.

"Take 'em out, John!"

"What? The Mako isn't equipped to take down five Geth ships. We'll be swimming in Geth plasma before we could even take one down," John replied.

The ships unleashed a barrage of plasma, scorching the rocky surface. The vehicle rocked as it barely managed to maneuver around the first few shots and another blast scorched over the Mako's hull, burning through its shielding. A GARDIAN laser pierced through one of the Geth ships, followed by a disruptor torpedo, creating random and unstable mass effect fields. The torpedo was only used at close range. John looked up through the window, spotting another silhouette engaging multiple Geth ships.

"_I got this, Commanders. Get Dr. T'Soni. I'll keep the air resistance to a minimal,_" Jokers said as his voice rang over the COM.

Several more Geth Dropships broke off pursuit from the Mako, following the _SSV Normandy_ back into the atmosphere. Large chunks of a ship fell out of the sky. Jane dodged the incoming rubble with ease and drove into a dark, gloomy tunnel. The unsettling tunnel made them wary – it was the perfect place for ambushes. The Mako's lights flickered on, illuminating a small area ahead of them. It wasn't a lot, but at least good enough to see.

"That was one long tunnel," Wrex muttered.

"Just long, Wrex?" Tali asked. He replied with a deep chuckle.

The sun was a pleasant change after the long tunnel. The planet was nothing but ruins. Could it be they were on the wrong planet? No, the Geth were here so it had to be the right planet. John took control of the weapons, taking down two Armatures ahead. They drove around a hill towards another tunnel. Trevelyan suddenly leaped out of his chair and pointed ahead.

"Colossus!" He shouted.

"The guns! Get on the secondary guns!" John yelled back. "Jane, get us out of here."

"This is going to get a bit sticky," she replied, her eyes locked on the Geth Colossus ahead.

The Mako suddenly reached its maximum speed, racing towards the Geth Colossus. John dragged his gaze away from the Colossus to his sister, in shock what her intent was. The Geth unleashed a barrel of plasma fire that met with the secondary weapons of the Mako in mid-air. Both sides lost their shielding. Jane lost control as the Mako drove right over the Geth Colossus, twisting the limbs apart. Trevelyan turned the weapons around, blowing up the Geth as it was crippled from the Commander's risky strategy.

"Clear," the Bounty Hunter stated. He tapped in some codes, cooling the Mako's weaponry down.

The glass window of the Mako was shattered, but everyone had a green status on the Omni-Tools. They drove ahead until a small passage blocked them. The Mako wouldn't fit and they were forced to go in on foot. The heat of the planet crawled back in as the door opened. They secured the perimeter. Trevelyan handed Newt a bottle of water to keep her hydrated. The sun reflected in her lavender purple eyes as she looked up to him. They turned back to the rest of the team who gathered around.

"Wrex, Jenkins and Alenko, I want you three to contact Joker to pick up the Mako," Jane ordered. "The rest of us are going in on foot."

"Roger that, Commander." Kaidan and Jenkins walked back to the Mako. "_SSV __Normandy_, requesting pick up for the Mako."

"_Roger that. ETA: Three minutes._"

Garrus grabbed Newt's arm as she jumped up. He, Newt and Trevelyan climbed up the hill, giving additional support from higher ground if needed. Jane received three all-clear signals on her Omni-Tool. She raised three fingers, waving at her brother and Tali to walk up. Williams kept her distance, watching everyone's backs. Two Geth troopers patrolled ahead, oblivious to the presence of the Commanders. John ghosted up to one, silently disabling the Geth's systems. Blue energy sprinkled in Jane's palms, crushing the second one with her biotics.

"What does it look like ahead?" The Commander asked over the COM.

"_Geth are bolstering the resistance with snipers and shock troopers. We'll see what we can do,_" Trevelyan answered, scouting ahead.

He grabbed a weapon from his back and it changed into fully-extended fire mode and handed it to Newt. After receiving basic training on snipers back on the Normandy, she knew how to use it properly. Garrus nodded at Trevelyan as he grabbed his own sniper. The Bounty Hunter dropped down the mountain side, hanging on the edge and slowly moved towards another position where a squad of Geth snipers and rocket troopers was positioned.

"_We are almost in position. Proceed with caution, Commanders._"

The Commanders walked through a small passage, barely able to dodge incoming missile shots. They pushed themselves into cover behind some boulders. Jane peered ahead, seeing Garrus and Newt return fire from the mountain to their left. While they were clearly outnumbered by the Geth, it gave the Commander's team the opportunity to move ahead. Williams fired her assault rifle as she ran with them, tearing apart shields and Geth optics.

Jane ghosted into the shadow of the mountain. Laser sights of Geth snipers brushed over her armor, but they didn't detect her. She looked over her shoulder at the others being pinned down by Geth snipers ahead. She didn't have a clear shot – none of them did. Some small rubble and dust fell on her armor. The Commander looked up at Trevelyan hanging over the edge of the mountain with a flashing object in his right hand. He just got into the right position and threw it between some weak points of the Geth's barricades ahead. The blast had a wide area effect that polluted the air and annihilated the snipers. John and the rest moved ahead, taking down some of the remaining Geth forces. They progressed uphill when something caused everyone to stop moving.

"What was that?" John asked, looking at the ground.

"I felt it, too. Seismic waves?" Tali assumed.

A volcano in the distance erupted, large chunks of rocks falling down around it with molten sulphur flowing out of it. The explosion rippled over the ground, everything trembling.

"_The planet must be getting increasingly unstable up to the point where the molten sulphur will cover the surface. We have to hurry,_" Trevelyan replied over the COM, followed by the sound of him climbing back up the mountain.

"Sending new coordinates. Meet us ahead," Jane replied, feeling something under the ground tremble into her combat boots and bones.

They moved onward. They arrived at a small makeshift camp, only it looked deserted. The Commanders went through the notes on a desk, looking for clues. Williams grabbed a datapad hidden between some handwritten notes.

"Got something," she notified. The Commanders walked up to her and frowned at the datapad.

"Let's hear it," Jane replied. Williams scrolled through the datapad, activating an audio log.

_The researchers are quick to settle down in this hostile environment. I wonder why the Protheans would come to this dry, hot planet. Perhaps centuries ago it was completely different; blush green and full of life. I don't think there is anything left of the Protheans here anymore. Just whispers carried by ageless sands now._

"Dr. T'Soni is here, I think... But where?" John concluded, asking the question to himself. As he looked around him, his eyes met with the entrance of an underground mining facility. "I must say, she sounds well-spoken."

"But what happened to the other researchers? Did they just disappear into thin air?" Tali asked, leaning against her shotgun.

Jane looked around her. Tali's right. Where are the other researchers? Three dots appeared on her map. Garrus, Trevelyan and Newt were on the hillside to their left, approaching the rendezvous point. The wind carried a warning howl. A shadow moved over the ground. A Geth ship flew over, dropping a Geth Colossus on the ground. Garrus' team acted within a second and opened fire on the Colossus, drawing its attention away from the Commanders so they could get into cover. The Geth Dropship turned towards the three, unleashing a blast and polluted the area.

Three dots flickered orange and red on the radar.

The Geth ship disappeared into orbit. The cloud of dust slowly settled, showing an empty, burning part on the hill. The blast punched one big, smoldering crater in the ground. Jane hid behind cover and opened a COM channel.

"Garrus, Trevelyan, Newt, respond!" Jane returned fire at the Geth Colossus.

"_We're alright... I think. Garrus is unconscious. Newt and I took a beating, but..._" Trevelyan stopped talking as he carried Garrus over his shoulder out of small crater.

"Can you assist?" John joined in over the COM.

"_Minimal. I'll see if I can distract the Colossus._"

Newt limped towards Garrus to tend to him. Trevelyan took most of the blast for Newt who would've been blasted into pieces if it hit without her suit being completely functional yet. His vision blurred with each shot he fired at the Colossus. The Commander's side unleashed all firepower they had at their disposal, tearing through several layers of its shields. John grabbed his sniper and loaded it with explosive rounds. One shot overheated it, but ripped away a large chunk of the Geth's shield. Williams and Jane threw their grenades at its limbs. Just before the grenades exploded, Trevelyan took the final shot to strip the Colossus' shields away.

The grenades exploded, all unique varieties that had different effects. A burst of red, blue and yellow energy engulfed the Geth Colossus.

Jane used her biotics on the unprotected Geth, rendering it unable to restore its shields. Both sides continued firing until the Geth Colossus exploded. Jane send a transmission to Joker. Tali helped Newt walking and Trevelyan carried Garrus off the hill. The _SSV Normandy_ landed next to their location and the cargo bay opened. Dr. Chakwas stood ready to assist Newt who entered first. Wrex caught Garrus just before Trevelyan lost his balance and collapsed on the ground. Jenkins and Alenko helped him up, feeling the Geth plasma still burning on his armor. Jane turned to her Omni-Tool that flickered with a blue light.

"_Commander, I'll keep the Normandy here. But you have about thirty minutes before the molten sulphur reaches critical levels._"

"Roger that, Joker. We'll be back before you know it," Jane responded.

The Commanders entered the small tunnel first. It was claustrophobic and barely any room to return fire if Geth waited for them inside – they hated it. Tali and Williams followed them in. They reached the end and walked over to an elevator. There were no signs of Geth. They walked to another elevator to their left when several red dots flickered on their radars. Geth drones hovered in the air. Jane picked them off with her pistol, none of them able to fire at the squad. They entered the second elevator that rumbled. The metal screeched and the elevator halted midway. They jumped down and looked at an abandoned mining base.

"...Uh... Hello? Could somebody help me? Please?" A female voice pleaded.

John turned towards the voice, weapon held high. An Asari hovered a few feet above the ground in a blue ball, a blue barrier between her and the Commander. The rest of the team joined his position.

"Can you heard me out there? I'm trapped. I need help!" She continued.

"Dr. T'Soni? Are you okay? What happened to you?" The Commander asked. He lowered his rifle and tried to scan through the barrier to no avail.

"Listen. This thing I am in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move, so you need to get me out of it. All right?" Liara explained.

"Hold on. Can we even trust her? Her mother is working with Saren," Williams cut in, a worried tone in her voice.

"I may be Benezia's daughter, but I am nothing like her! I haven't spoken to her in years. Please, just get me out of here," Liara clarified. John felt she was telling the truth and believed her.

"We'll find a way to get you out of there. Just stay there," John assured, calming her down.

"It's not like I can go anywhere."

He turned his back to her, a grin spreading on his face. They walked down the stairs to some dormant machinery. Jane pulled off a large cloth. A mining laser was covered under it, still in pristine state. The Commander looked over her shoulder and whistled at her brother. John narrowed his eyes as he looked at the mining laser.

"Are you sure you want to use a mining laser? It could increase the seismic activity," John stated.

"It's our only shot," Jane replied. She turned to Tali who walked up to them. "Tali, can you hack into the controls to activate this mining laser?"

"S- Sure," Tali answered, nervous for the outcome.

John and Jane realigned the mining laser and gave Tali the all-clear. She tapped some codes into the controls, activating the laser. A bright red laser burned a hole into the ground, creating an opening to the other side. The rocks were still smoldering but nothing dangerously hot. They activated a large, round elevator on the other side to Dr. T'Soni's level. John walked up to her and she looked over her shoulder at him, surprised.

"How... How did you get in here? I didn't think there was any way past the barrier!" Liara remarked.

"We have to get you out of here before more Geth arrive." The Commander looked around him for controls.

"Yes, you're right. I've seen enough of them to last a lifetime," Liara started. She bobbed her head towards an inactive panel. "That button should shut down my containment field."

The green holographic panel flickered up. John pressed the button, deactivating the security devices. Liara landed on her feet and wiped some dust of her research vest. John checked her for dehydration and injuries. Williams had her pistol aimed at Dr. T'Soni, just in case. Tali took a step forward and looked at Liara.

"Any idea how we get out of this place?" She purred.

"There's an elevator back in the center of the tower. At least, I think it's an elevator. It should take us out of here. Come on!" Liara answered, tapping several codes into the holographic panel of the elevator. She turned to the Commander, her expression saddening and worried. "I– I still cannot believe all this. Why would the Geth come after me? Do you think Benezia is involved?"

"Saren's looking for the Conduit. You're a Prothean expert. He probably wants you to help him find it," Tali answered.

"The Conduit? But I don't know–" The tower suddenly trembled, cracks starting to show in the walls.

"_Commanders, the seismic activity is increasing faster than before. You have five minutes before we have to leave!_" Joker shouted over the COM.

Rubble fell around them on the elevator. They arrived at the main hub of the tower. There were several more barriers set up, effectively trapping them inside. A Krogan Battlemaster walked out of the shadows, Geth troopers accompanying him. John protected Liara, keeping her behind him.

"Surrender. Or don't. That would be more fun," the Krogan taunted.

"We don't have time to deal with this idiot. Charge!" Jane yelled, playing on the Krogan's taunt. The squad readied their weapons and biotics – even Liara was prepared to fight back.

"Ha! I like your attitude..."

The Krogan fired a burst of red energy from his shotgun, crippling Williams' shields and used his biotics to knock her to her knees. Tali fired her pistol at the Geth soldiers, eliminating the Battlemaster's allies. John pushed Liara out of the line of fire and looked up at the Krogan looming over him. Williams and Jane opened fire, ripping through the barriers of the Krogan who retaliated with biotics that were halted by a biotic barrier created by Liara. John grabbed the Krogan by his waist, lifting him up and throwing him through a crate. Cracks spread over the ceiling, tearing it apart and a chunk fell on the Krogan.

"We have to move. Now!" Jane pulled her brother up and with her towards the ramp ahead.

The cave around them shook heavily, rubble falling down and dust filling the air. They ran towards the tunnel, ignoring the Geth in their way. The Commander grabbed Liara before the balcony under her collapsed. He pulled her up and pushed Liara ahead. A large cloud of dust blew out of the tunnel as they emerged out of it. They jumped into the closing cargo bay of the _SSV __Normandy_ as the molten sulphur reached critical levels.

Everyone sat down in the COM Room, most of them without armor to cool down. There was some static over the COM before Joker's voice filled it.

"Too close, Commanders. Ten more seconds and we would've been swimming in molten sulphur. The Normandy isn't equipped to land in exploding volcanoes. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull. Just for future reference," Joker joked over the COM. The Commanders, however, looked displeased at the situation – the Council was sure to have some words with them about what happened.

"We almost died out there and your pilot is making jokes?" Liara asked, unable to comprehend the Human nature of jokes.

"Joker pulled our asses out of there. I think he's earned the right to a few bad jokes," Jane replied.

"I see. It must be a Human thing. I don't have a lot of experience dealing with your species, Commanders," Liara said, "But I am grateful to both of you. You saved my life back there. And not just from the volcano. Those Geth would've killed me. Or dragged me off to Saren."

"What did Saren want with you? Do you know something about the Conduit?" Kaidan asked, leaning forward.

"Only that it was somehow connected to the Prothean extinction. That is my real area of expertise. I have spent the past fifty years trying to figure out what happened to them."

"How old are you exactly?" Jane asked.

"I hate to admit it, but I'm only a hundred and six," she answered.

"Damn! I hope I look that good when I'm your age," Williams joked.

"It's only the Maiden Stage," John pointed out.

"Anyway. We've got our own theory about why the Protheans disappeared," Jane cut in, redirecting the conversation back to its original point.

"With all due respect, Commanders, I have heard every theory out there. The problem is finding evidence to support them. The Protheans left remarkably little behind," Liara explained. "It is almost as if someone did not want the mystery solved. It's like someone came along after the Protheans were gone and cleansed the Galaxy of clues. But here is the incredible part. According to my findings, the Protheans were not the first Galactic civilization to mysteriously vanish. This cycle began long before them."

"The Reapers must be responsible for each 'Cycle', without question. " Trevelyan cut in. Every turned away from Liara to the Bounty Hunter who stayed quiet after that. Both Commanders looked at him, nodding.

"Indeed. They were wiped by a race of sentient machines. The Reapers," John added.

"But if the Reapers are sentient machines... who created them?" Trevelyan asked. It was obvious nobody could answer that, but they got the feeling they were built for a specific purpose.

"The– The Reapers? But I've never heard of– How do you know this? What evidence do you have?" Liara asked, piqued by this new theory.

"There was a damaged Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime. It burned a vision into our brain. We're still trying to find out what it means," Jane answered, overwhelmed by all the questions. Liara nodded slowly, intrigued and turned to the Bounty Hunter.

"How do you know of the Reapers?"

"I saw them in a dream or vision... once. I can recall it back at will, so it must be different from what the Commanders experienced," he answered.

"Visions? Yes... that makes sense. The beacons were designed to transmit information directly into the mind of the user. Finding one that works is extremely rare."

"No wonder the Geth attacked Eden Prime. The chance to acquire a working beacon – even a badly damaged one – is worth almost any risk. But the beacons were only programmed to interact with Prothean physiology. Whatever information you received would have been confused, unclear."

Williams and the Commanders didn't look particularly pleased at those words.

"Even worth a war with the Terminus Systems?" Williams growled. Liara noticed her words cut more personal than just the risk with the Terminus Systems, but stayed her words.

"Williams, let it go."

"I am amazed you two were able to make sense of it at all. A lesser mind would have been utterly destroyed by the process. You must be remarkably strong-willed, Commanders," she remarked.

"This helping us find Saren. Or the Conduit," Kaidan said, a tint of jealousy filling his voice. Williams seemed to agree with Alenko while the rest looked quietly at Dr. T'Soni, waiting for her to finish.

"Of course. You are right. I am sorry. My scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, I do not have any information that could help you find the Conduit. Or Saren," Liara excused, shifting nervously in the chair.

"I don't know why Saren wanted you out of the picture. But I think we'll be a lot better off if we bring you along," John suggested.

"Thank you, Commander. Saren might come after me again. I cannot think of anywhere safer than here on your ship. And my knowledge of the Protheans might be useful later on."

"And her biotics will come in handy when the fighting starts," Wrex added.

"Good to have you on the team, Liara," John said, giving her a friendly smile.

"Thank you, Commander. I am very gratef– Whoa... I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit light-headed," she replied, her face tiring instantly.

"When was the last time you ate? Or slept? Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you," Kaidan suggested.

"It is probably just mental exhaustion, coupled with the shock of the Protheans' true fate. I need some time to process all this. Still, it couldn't hurt to be examined by a medical professional. It will give me a chance to think things over. Are we finished here, Commanders?"

"We can talk again after you've seen the doctor. The rest of you... dismissed." The COM Room emptied, leaving the Commanders alone.

"_Mission reports are filed, Commanders. You want me to patch you through to the Council?_" Jeff asked.

"Patch them through, Joker." Three holograms flickered up in the COM Room.

"We've received your report, Commanders. I understand Dr. T'Soni is on the Normandy," the Asari Councilor remarked.

"I assume you are taking the necessary security precautions?" The Turian Councilor asked flatly.

"Don't tell me how to do my job," John retorted. Sparatus twitched his mandibles patiently as his cold glare pierced through the Commander.

"Liara's on our side. The Geth were trying to kill her," Jane assured.

"Benezia would never allow Saren to kill her daughter," Tevos said confidently.

"Maybe she doesn't know," the Salarian Councilor followed.

"Or maybe we don't know her. We never expected she could become a traitor," Sparatus added.

"At least the mission was a success."

"Apart from the utter destruction of a major Prothean ruin. Was that really necessary, Shepard?" John stepped forward, but his sister beat him to it.

"The Geth were crawling all over those ruins. We were lucky to make it out alive," Jane responded. She was always the faster one.

"Of course, Commander. The mission must always take priority."

"Good luck, Commanders. Remember: We are all counting on you."

While their first mission was a success, they weren't closer to catching Saren. But that had to wait. They just received a message that held the lives of thousands in its wake.


	8. Bring Down the Sky

**Bring Down the Sky  
**

* * *

They didn't have to time rest when they received a distress message right after their mission on Therum. They needed every capable hand on this mission. John hurried up the stairs to the CIC and into the cockpit. His sister was already there, accompanying Joker. She had her arms crossed as John joined her. The _SSV Normandy_ was close enough for them to see three Fusion torches burn bright on Asteroid X57, on collision course with Terra Nova. The assessment in the message was incorrect. The impact would have effect on more than just thousands – millions would die if it were to hit. Joker kept the ship steady as they approached the asteroid. The Commanders walked down the CIC, and into the elevator. John reloaded all his weapons with personalized ammunition mods. Jane tuned her biotic barriers to optimal working conditions.

The elevator arrived at the Cargo Bay.

There was some minor chaos. The team had trouble equipping their armor due to the intense heat of Therum that still had effect on them, tiring them. Jenkins finished gearing up. Williams made a circle with her armored finger at him. He turned around, allowing Ashley to check if his suit was properly sealed off. She tapped her finger on his shoulder and gave him a thumbs up. Jenkins returned the favor and checked Williams' suit. Garrus, Newt and Trevelyan were also present, despite Dr. Chakwas' orders for them to sit this one out to recover. Trevelyan actually wanted Newt to sit this one out, but she was adamant in going for a reason she didn't disclose. The Alliance soldiers stood in formation as the Commanders walked up to them, crisply saluting them. The Commander checked everyone and her eyes met with the trio who took the blast from a Geth Dropship.

"Dr. Chakwas ordered you three to recover. We can't have injured people on the team," Jane stated flatly, checking the three from head to toe. She bit her underlip, considering if the three were truly able to actively assist in the field.

"I'm fit for duty, Commander," the Bounty Hunter replied adamantly.

"So am I," Newt followed.

"Fighting a rogue Spectre with no regulations getting in the way? I wouldn't want to miss one mission of that," Garrus added, mandibles twitching excitingly.

The Commander nodded, having come to a conclusion. Perhaps they could still do something in the field. John waved at the four to join him. When everyone gathered around him, the Commander activated his Omni-Tool, a holographic version of Asteroid X57 hovering a few inches above it. Several points of interest flickered on it, along with three green objective nodes of the Fusion torches.

"These are the three Fusion torches. I say we split up in three teams and hit them simultaneously," John suggested. He highlighted several coordinates on the hologram. "Joker will take us in, and drop us at these coordinates."

"_ETA: Two minutes._" The Normandy V.I. announced.

"Who leads each team?" Jenkins asked, counting all of them. "Besides, we are in uneven number – there are eleven of us. How will we split up?"

"Jane and I will take Newt and Liara with us. We'll disable the Fusion Torch in the north," John answered. Newt looked nervously up at Trevelyan who remained silent during the exchange.

"You'll do great. I know you will," Trevelyan said over a private COM channel to her, absolute trust in his voice. She replied with a firm nod.

"Williams, you are in charge of Delta Team. Alenko, Jenkins and Wrex are assigned to your team. Your priority is the Fusion torch to the south." Jane turned to the remaining few. "Trevelyan, you are leader of Echo Team. Garrus and Tali are assigned to you. Your team will disable the Fusion torch in the center. Remember: You're the stealth team. Go in and out silently and wait for extraction from our team."

After receiving their assignments and objects, the Commanders took the Mako with Newt and Liara. The freezing vacuum entered the Cargo Bay as it opened. The Pilot kept the bay open as they flew to the other two coordinates. Delta Team walked to the ramp, weapons readied.

"_Approaching drop point two,_" Joker announced over the COM.

They jumped off, securing the perimeter. Just before Trevelyan lost sight of Delta Team, he could see Williams gesturing at them towards a communications beacon atop a mountain in the distance. He grabbed his sniper from his back and turned to Garrus who did the same. They nodded at each other as they stood by the edge of the ramp. The SSV Normandy pulled a turn that almost caused Echo Team to lose their footing.

"_Approaching drop point three, over._"

The Bounty Hunter jumped out first, the dust of the asteroid covering his boots. Tali and Garrus jumped out, landing next to Trevelyan. He looked back at the closing hull of the Normandy as it flew away. A green light flickered on his tactical visor and he replied with the same signal, notifying the Commander of their touchdown. They walked through the valley. His visor detected several energy signatures around the hill, just outside of the facility. Some gunfire echoed in the distance. Trevelyan peeked around the corner, assessing the threat ahead. He looked over his shoulder back at Garrus and Tali who waited for him to speak.

"There's a small minefield around the facility. I'll sneak through it and deactivate the mines for you two." Trevelyan looked around him and pointed at the mountain top. "Garrus, I want you atop this mountain. Feed me new intel on what happens on the other side if there are hostiles. Tali, you're the tech-expert – you'll disable the Fusion torch and download all relevant data."

"Need a weapon to take hostiles down silently if there are any?" Tali asked, she and Garrus crouching next to Trevelyan.

"I could."

"Rule number nine: Never go anywhere without a knife," Tali said, fiddling with her boot. She unsheathed a combat knife that was strapped around the boot. It felt remarkable light in hand as he weighed it.

"That's one for the books. Thanks, Tali."

The team split up. Garrus and Tali climbed the mountain unseen. Trevelyan ghosted ahead until he reached the outer edge of the minefield. He created a direct link between his suit and the mines' sensors before stepping into it. Garrus reached the top and his visor picked the green outline of Trevelyan's body up. He twitched his mandibles slowly as he scanned the area for hostiles. Nothing. Not a living soul or active equipment aside from the minefield. The wind carried an explosion in the distance. Garrus' visor went haywire, multiple heartbeats rushing out of the facility and hostile turrets activating. Trevelyan jumped down as he was caught in the crossfire halfway through the minefield. Garrus flawlessly hit the optics of a turret on the opposite side of the mountain, disabling the Friend-or-Foe system. It attacked both sides which gave Trevelyan the opportunity to move ahead. He took cover behind some crates and waited for the hostile to come closer. He pulled the body over the crate and sank the combat knife deep into the neck. Two shots lingered in the air, taking down two more hostiles. He ran to the control panel, disabling the active mines. The Bounty Hunter sent an all-clear to Tali and Garrus who slid down the mountain side. He handed the combat knife back to Tali who sheathed it back on her boot.

"Who are these guys?" Garrus asked, kicking one of the bodies over. Trevelyan knelt next to it and pulled the helmet off.

"Batarians..."

"Why? This kind of behavior would just create an even more negative reputation for them," Tali purred, a tint of confusion in her voice.

"No idea. Let's just secure the facility and wait for the Commander to contact us."

They agreed with Trevelyan and entered the building. Garrus used his arms to keep Trevelyan and Tali back as his visor detected a heartbeat on the other side of the door ahead. Tali readied her shotgun as she stood in front of the door, Garrus and Trevelyan standing on the sides by the door. She nodded. They opened the door. A Varren leaped at Tali, only to be blown apart by her shotgun. The Bounty Hunter threw a grenade into the next room and ran in. The smoke screen concealed them as they entered. The Batarians took cover, weapons readied as they tried to get a better view.

"Get him!" The Batarian shouted, pointing at a glowing blue visor in the smoke.

The Batarians leaned out of cover, firing at the light that disappeared into the smoke. Garrus and Tali opened fire at the exposed Batarians from higher ground and shifted their gunfire to the other side of the room when more terrorists ran in. Trevelyan took down three Batarians on his way to the other side of the room and took cover behind a crate. More terrorists had themselves positioned behind cover. He grabbed another grenade and threw it ahead, vaporizing the opposition.

The gunfire died down and there were no other hostiles detectable in the facility.

Echo Team progressed up the stairs and into a room to their left. The control panel stood in the back. He pointed at the control panel and Tali started to hack into it. Garrus lowered his sniper and went through several notes to find out what happened here.

"This is Echo Leader to Commander Shepard. Facility 01 secured," Trevelyan said over the COM.

"_This is Commander Shepard. Have you heard of Delta Team?_" The Commander asked.

"Negative."

"_We haven't heard of Delta Team either. We'll disable our Fusion torches and head for their coordinates. Meet us there,_" the Commander continued, some mumbling in the background. Echo Leader's Omni-Tool received the new coordinates the Commander sent to him.

"Affirmative. We'll meet you at the new coordinates," he replied before closing the COM. He looked over his shoulder at Tali who looked at him with her glowing eyes narrowed. "Disable the torch. Delta Team might be in trouble, we're going to their coordinates."

She disabled the torch, a sudden shift in gravity as the asteroid slowed down. Another light flickered on the holographic panel, indicating another torch stopped functioning. The team turned their backs to the panel and walked down the stairs towards the entrance when they picked up another transmission on the broadband. It wasn't highly encrypted and they tapped into it.

_Damn it, Charn! I thought you said you had the team under arrest at Facility 03.  
This team will probably come to you – so you'll have to deal with them, too. Use lethal force this time or I'll skin you alive and sell your hide out of spite!_

"Sounds like a hard-ass," Garrus remarked.

"Come on. Let's go."

* * *

**Asteroid X57, Facility 02**

John closed the COM as he gritted his teeth. At least they knew what happened to Delta Team – and that they were still alive. He and his sister finished downloading all the data on the terminal. The radar flickered up with a dozen red dots entering the facility. The two green dots in the room next to them were unable to respond to the hostiles surprising them. Three hostiles went down, but a dozen more entered. The Commanders took cover behind the railing and opened fire on exposed Batarians. The fight quickly ended.

Newt crawled to her feet when someone grabbed her neck and turned her around. A terrorist loomed over her, his hands putting pressure on her neck. She struggled under his firm grip and tried to reach for her weapon on the ground. Instead, she grabbed a broken piece of metal and swung it against the Batarian's exposed face. He staggered back, reaching for his bleeding face. Newt toppled him and pinned him on the ground, swinging the twisted piece of metal against his face without mercy. Another set of hands grabbed her arms and pulled her off the dead Batarian.

"Newt! Stop. Stop." A female voice said, finally pulling the panicking girl off the body.

"No! Don't touch me," she yelled, trying to break free from the grip.

"It's okay. It's me. It's me," Liara said, turning her around.

"He tried to..."

"It's okay now." She assured, hugging Newt who slowly calmed down. Liara pushed Newt's face against her as she looked at what was left of the mangled face of the Batarian.

The Commanders ran around the corner, weapons pointed at the dead body. They quickly pieced together what happened as they looked at Newt in Liara's arms and the piece of twisted metal she unconsciously held on to. John helped the two up. Jane took a closer look at the Batarian and rolled the body over to save Newt from seeing what she did on impulse to being attacked. John walked up to his sister.

"How is she?"

"Newt's in shock. She only disabled the others who attacked her, but she reacted differently when someone surprised her. Can't say I would have done differently in her situation," John answered, whispering it.

"We don't have enough time to wait for Joker to pick her up now. We go on ahead and keep her away from any further violence," Jane replied.

They looked back at Liara and Newt entering the Mako. The Commanders took a seat behind the controls and drove towards Facility 03. The vehicles radar picked up three green dots progressing through a mountain creak, taking a shortcut. The holographic panel on the Mako flickered up with a blue light and Jane activated it. A helmet feed filled the screen.

"_Commander, are you seeing this?_" Trevelyan asked as his voice rang over the COM.

As they watched the live feed, they could see him gesture at Garrus and Tali to switch to their snipers. He looked back at the area ahead and zoomed in. Batarians brought Delta Team to their knees outside of the facility.

"We see it. There must be five dozen Batarians out there," she replied. Jane looked over her shoulder at Liara and Newt sitting quietly in the back and back to Trevelyan. "Listen, when you see the signal engage the hostiles. We'll go in and retrieve Delta Team."

"_Copy that._" Trevelyan kept his live feed open. "_Is Newt alright?_"

"...We'll tell you once we get Delta Team out of there," Jane answered after a long pause. His sigh echoed through the Mako.

"_Affirmative._"

The COM and helmet feed closed after his final word. John aligned the Mako's controls to his Omni-Tool, allowing him to control it from a safe distance. They left the vehicle and positioned themselves just out of sight. The Commander looked at the interface on his Omni-Tool and drove the Mako around the hill, driving over five Batarians and opening fire. Jane ran in through the chaos it created, reaching Delta Team and pulling them out of the line of fire. Sniper shots rang in the air. Batarians fell to the ground from well-placed sniper shots. An ominous silence filled the air around them.

"Clear. You can come down Echo Team."

Trevelyan pushed himself off the ground and wiped some dust of his armor. They slid down the mountain. Some protruding boulders were concealed by the lighting. They weren't fast enough to react as they closed in on the boulders and their bodies were sent sky-high. Echo Team continued their descent rolling down the mountain side until they met with even ground. Tali struggled to her feet and looked at a hand being offered to her. She looked up and took Garrus' hand. The Commanders and Delta Team ran up to Echo Team who looked remarkably unscathed, but they didn't feel the same about that. Perhaps Dr. Chakwas was right after all – they weren't ready to be in the field yet.

"Well, that looked entertaining. Let's disable the Fusion torch."

Newt ran up to Trevelyan, her arms clutched tightly around him as she hugged him. She didn't say a word. He looked up at Liara who gestured at him to come over. The Bounty Hunter removed her arms from his armor and brought her to Tali to keep her company. He walked up to Liara whose body language looked tense.

"What happened?" Trevelyan asked.

"A Batarian surprised her and tried to kill her. She retaliated by smashing his head in with a piece of metal. She killed him," Liara answered, keeping an eye on Newt from a distance.

"Newt acted on impulse. I'll talk to her, see if she's oka–"

"Commander, there's a survivor!" Garrus ran ahead, drawing his pistol as he set his foot on the Batarian's back.

The Commanders gestured at Delta Team to enter the building and disable the Fusion torch while they dealt with the surviving Batarian. Well, the man wasn't exactly alive – more like on the brink of death. Garrus removed his boot from the man's back and rolled him over. Newt turned around in disgust. Trevelyan remained unfazed by the sight. The terrorist's side was blown apart, beyond the state of healing – even with cybernetics. A sudden shift in gravity occurred as the torch behind them deactivated. The Batarian stared past the Commanders and the others of the team with a lifeless look.

"...We... never... wanted..." The Batarian breathed, the mortal wounds exposed to the vacuum of space taking their toll. Perhaps in an act of kindness, he reached for a small pass that survived the fight; the key to the entrance of another location with the coordinates encrypted in it.

"Are you alright, Newt?" Trevelyan asked, checking up on her. When she was quiet for a minute he placed his hand on her shoulder. Newt slowly turned around, and despite the helmet, he could tell she wasn't fine at all. "How are you holding up?"

"I can't believe we killed all those people... The Commander said they are terrorists, bad people but..." Newt tried to regain control over the situation. The others were out of hearing range. Newt looked back up at Trevelyan. "And that guy... his intestines were blown out. How was he still capable of moving?"

"I..." Trevelyan picked his next words carefully. Telling her that the Batarians were here to enslave the researchers, make some credits, and send an asteroid into a Human populated world, would be like dropping a bomb on her. On the other hand, he couldn't answer the second question she had. "... I'll explain it back aboard the _SSV Normandy_."

"Trevelyan, Newt, are you two coming or are you going to enjoy the scenery?" John said over the COM, waving at the two from a small distance.

"Sorry. We are on our way," he replied, forcing the concerned tone out of his voice.

They walked up to the group and into the Mako. It was just as cramped when back on Therum, but at least they didn't have to walk the whole way. The asteroid's accelerated speed was reduced to a safe limit, but they still had to deal with the Batarian leader. The team bumped back and forth in their seats as they arrived at the main facility. They took up positions around the entrance, weapons raised. Jane held the pass in front of the panel, unlocking the secured door. The team went in two by two, Trevelyan and Newt going in last. There was no way of telling what waited to greet them in here.

The long white walls stretched before them. It almost made them forget why they were here. The team progressed down the stairs, taking defensive positions by each corner. Batarians don't spook easily, yet they weren't here – even their radars and HUD couldn't detect a living soul aside from several civilian tags in a small cell. The Commanders moved ahead, both gesturing at Echo and Delta Teams to go to higher ground. Tali and Wrex headed for the cell, seeing if they could override the system to unlock the door. With everyone spread around the round center of building, they could attack from all sides if this was, as they assumed, an ambush. Trevelyan rested his sniper on the railing of the balcony, keeping a close eye on Newt rather than the Commanders. They could handle themselves in battle with no trouble, but Newt couldn't – not after what she tried to process.

"You Humans..." A voice called out, echoing through the building. A Batarian walked to the top of the stairs, accompanied by personal guards and Varren.

Garrus aimed his sniper at the Batarian's head, tagging him. He dragged his scope up to Trevelyan who aimed at someone else entirely. Garrus followed the trajectory of the bullet paths if the Bounty hunter would fire and met with Newt. He twitched his mandibles every few seconds in rhythm, his finger slightly tapping on the trigger.

"You're almost more trouble than you're worth," the Batarian continued. The Varren unhinged their jaws, showing the razor-sharp fangs.

"Balak, I presume? Let the hostages go and maybe you'll live long enough to explain yourself to the Council," Jane replied, hoping to get through this without more bloodshed but kept her hand over her pistol.

"I don't answer to the Council! Or to you..." Balak stopped and looked to his right, bobbing his head towards the cell with civilians in them. "...I'm leaving this asteroid. If you try to stop me, I'll detonate these charges and your helper and her friends are all going to die."

"I can't just let you go, Balak. Not after what happened here," Jane continued slowly. John had to urge to just shoot Balak, but stayed his temper.

"This is nothing. You Humans have done far worse to the Batarians," he retorted, anger filling his gravelly voice. "We've been forced into exile. Forced to survive on what we can scrounge up. It's been like this for decades."

Balak did have a point. The Batarians did have it rough, but they never thought of going about without causing so much bloodshed and violence.

"Why take it out on these people? They didn't do anything to you or the Batarians," Jane shot back.

"Didn't do anything? Aside from colonizing a world that could have been ours? Aside from using resources that should have been ours?!" Balak continued his angry rant. "We were left to defend ourselves. But the Humans were stronger than us. We knew that. The Council knew that. But it didn't matter. It was YOU. You and your kind are the only reason we're in this place."

"How does killing innocent people make up for that?" Newt suddenly joined in, demanding an answer.

"We had no other options. Sometimes you need to get someone's attention before they'll listen," Balak answered.

"Is that was Elysium was? A way to get our attention? Well, you got it. And when we responded you ran like cowards. Now you want to start it all over again," John growled, readying his sniper.

"Enough! You couldn't possibly understand... Actually, you don't want to understand. And I'm done wasting my breath," Balak replied coolly, a threatening tone in his voice. "Now, if you want your friends to live, I suggest you step aside."

"You can go. But this isn't over. We'll find you eventually."

"Maybe. But I made sure you won't follow me today. Those charges are still on a timer. Better hurry if you want to save your friends."

"Oh...? These charges?" Tali purred, having collected all the wiring of each charge. She dropped the wiring on the ground and looked up at Balak. "I must say though, it was poorly done. I mean, I've seen Hanar deal with explosives better than this..."

In a fit of anger, Balak ordered his two guards to attack the Commanders. Both Garrus and Trevelyan took them down before they could even take one step forward. The Varren took their turn, racing down the stairs. Newt, having seen the Commander use it a few hours ago, kneed the Varren's jaw up, the fangs going through its own skull. Newt felt her patella hurt for a few seconds, kneeing the animal too soon. John was actually impressed she managed to duplicate the attack good enough for it to kill her opponent – and so was Trevelyan.

"Jane and I will talk to Kate Bowmen... We'll also have to notify Simon Atwell that the researchers are dead," the Commander stated. "The rest of you can go on ahead. We'll meet at the Mako."

Fifteen minutes passed as they waited by the Mako. Several Alliance ships landed on the asteroid to assist with repairs and getting Asteroid X57 into geosynchronous orbit. The Commanders walked out of the building with some small crates with a suit of armor atop of it. The Commander handed it to Tali who reluctantly took it.

"What's this for?" She asked, inspecting the Quarian armor. How it got here was a mystery to her.

"Simon Atwell had some former Quarian colleagues. They left this behind. He wanted you to have it for disabling all the charges," John explained, handing some other crates to Jenkins and Kaidan who offered assistance.

The _SSV Normandy_ landed next to their location and the Mako drove in. The ship flew back into the sea of nebula, heading towards the Mass Relay. The team went about their own business. Tali had the Colossus-tier armor on, stuck in the engine room of the _SSV Normandy_ as she was a sucker for ship technology. Wrex and Garrus were busy boasting about old adventures. Ashley, Kaidan and Jenkins went over the weaponry of the Mako.

Dr. Chakwas locked the door of the Medical Bay, trapping Trevelyan, Newt and Garrus inside. She was adamant in finishing all medical scans, whether they liked it or not. Liara sat in the Mess Hall, several stacks of book on Human History and Literature around her. John sat down by the table and placed two cups of coffee on it. He pushed one towards Liara. He looked at her with a smile on his face, waiting patiently. Her cheeks blushed a deeper blue and she placed the book aside. The rest of them joined in the Mess Hall and sat down by the table.


	9. Moonlight Edify

**Moonlight Edify  
**

* * *

Dr. Chakwas finished her medical diagnosis and relieved Garrus, Newt and Trevelyan from the Medical Bay. Garrus quickly found himself drawn to the _SSV Normandy's_ weapon systems and left to follow-up on his interests. Trevelyan noticed Newt hasn't said a word since what occurred on Asteroid X57 as she quietly stared in front of her, eyes lacking their usual spark. He gently placed his armored gauntlet on her shoulder, guiding her to Deck Twelve.

"...That is why I find you so fascinating. You were marked by the Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime; you were touched by working Prothean technology!" Liara's voice rang through the Mess Hall.

"Sounds like you want to dissect me in a lab somewhere," John's voice replied, suddenly wary of Liara's intent.

"What? No! I did not mean to insinuate – Ah, I never meant to offend you, Shepard," she excused, her cheeks blushing a deep blue tint of embarrassment. "I only meant that you would be an interesting specimen for an in-depth study. No – that's even worse..."

The conversation between the Commander and Liara faded into the background as the elevator door closed. They arrived at Deck Twelve. He sat her down in a chair and handed Newt a cup filled with a watery, green substance. Trevelyan sat down in an unoccupied chair in front of her and patiently waited for her to relax as the aroma started to fill her senses. After a few moments of collecting her thoughts, she looked up with a grimaced expression.

"How did you do it all those years? I need to know," she asked.

"You don't, Newt. You don't."

"I was afraid you'd say that," Newt replied with a meek smile. "I want to help protect the Galaxy, but I can't even kill one person to reach that goal. I want to make my dream true, and I know I had to kill that Batarian to save myself, but... Maybe I should go back to the Citadel or Eden Prime and live with my aunt and uncle."

"Everyone's road is tough to walk. It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The Human spirit is never finished when it is defeated... it is finished when it surrenders. Before you quit because the road seems so long and dreadful, look how far you've come, Newt," Trevelyan replied. "I won't stop you if you want to return to your old life and spend your time that way, but remember: Time is free, but it is priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back. You have a choice, Newt. You always have a choice. Don't forget that."

"I... I don't know what to do, Trevelyan. I don't know what I need to do in the Galaxy or what it requires of me."

"Don't ask yourself what the Galaxy needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do it, because what the Galaxy needs is people who have come alive. To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to go there."

The gleams of a moon passed through the Deck. Newt looked back at the warm cup of tea cupped in her hands, looking at her own reflection that distorted every time the tea rippled. It finally came through to her what Trevelyan meant, and looked up at him. Despite his helmet, she managed to look right through it into his eyes.

"I think I need to be alone for a little while," said Newt after a long pause.

"I understand. I'm here if you need me," Trevelyan replied and grabbed the encrypted datapad off the table as he got out of his seat. He could see Newt activate her Omni-Tool and caught a glimpse of a picture of Faería.

Something stood in the shadow unseen, but several irregularities on the wall gave its presence away to the Bounty Hunter's keen eyes. It was darker than the shadow itself. The Bounty Hunter approached the figure who had been watching them for an unknown period of time. He lowered his pistol as she recognized the woman. The Commander looked troubled at Newt in the background and dragged her gaze to Trevelyan, gesturing at him to come with her. They both entered the elevator and she stopped its movement halfway through. Jane turned to him with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Why are you letting her make the choice?"

"Because I was taught I don't have a choice. I was taught not to disobey orders, no matter the circumstances. Because I don't want Newt to become like me." He snapped back, slamming his hand hard enough into the wall of the elevator to create a hole.

The Commander didn't flinch. She heard more pain in his voice than anger. In fact, his voice was void of anger, only pain filled it. She didn't want to inquire about his past, but she may have set that in motion already on accident. He silently stared at the hole in the wall unmoving.

"I see similarities between me and Newt that scare me. And I don't want her to feel that. I want her to live her life free," he answered with a calm voice, but a chill strike ran through his heart as he spoke the words he knew would haunt him.

"What happened all those years back?"

"I could tell you everything, but it wouldn't make any difference. You'd have to see the files with your own eyes to understand, and if you really want that, you'd have to go to the planet the Bounty Hunters claimed," Trevelyan answered, pressing the button of the elevator again to activate it.

"Where's that?" She followed.

"Arcadia."

"I want to ask one last thing. You won't have to answer it if you don't want to. But back at Chora's Den you said you joined us because of Saren's 'Operative'. What did he... or she do?" There was a long pause on the Bounty Hunter's part.

"..."

As the Commander anticipated, he responded with nothing but silence as he slightly shook his head. Trevelyan walked out of the elevator without saying a word, leaving her alone. Jane bit her underlip frustrated as she took one last glance at the hole in the elevator. She walked out of the elevator and into the Mess Hall. Trevelyan stood by the window, staring into the sea of nebula as he tapped codes on a datapad without looking at it. The rest of the team sat by the table, waiting for the others to join them for dinner. Wrex pulled out a chair with his biotics for the Commander to sit down. The others looked at Trevelyan and back at Jane.

"Why aren't Trevelyan and Newt joining us?" Tali asked softly.

"Let them be, Tali. Let them be," Jane answered, shaking her head at the Quarian not to inquire any further.

"All the more food for me," Wrex concluded, filling his plates with more meat and vegetables.

He roughly pushed Williams out of the way as he loomed over the table, reaching for some loafs of bread and meat. Instead of engaging the Krogan in a verbal conflict, as she nearly was about to, the Gunnery Chief brushed his arm off and focused on her salad. The silence became audible as a serene atmosphere filled the Mess Hall. Garrus pushed his plate forward and cleared his throat. It drew everyone's attention, except for the Bounty Hunter who stood like a statue by the window, reflecting back on his own past. Garrus opened his mouth, but no words came out of it. He squelched what he wanted to say and got up.

"Commander, I wish to speak to either one of you later in private," he requested before leaving the Mess Hall.

"You got it, Garrus," John said, also getting out of his seat. He looked around until he met with Liara's serene and calming eyes. "Liara, we were talking about some... stuff before the others came. Do you want to continue that in my quarters?"

"Of course, Commander," she replied, following John to his quarters. They walked into the back of the Medical Bay where the two disappeared into the back.

Wrex let out a playful chuckle before heading towards the Cargo Bay. Jenkins, Williams and Alenko excused themselves and followed Wrex, keeping a close eye on him. Jane turned back to her empty plate and looked over shoulder at Trevelyan and back at Tali quietly drinking a thick nutrient paste through a straw. The three of them were all silent, Trevelyan lost in thought about the past, Tali thinking about her Pilgrimage, and the Commander trying to figure out where to go next. A blue light flickered on the Commander's Omni-Tool with a message. She got out of her chair without saying a word and headed for the COM Room.

Tali's glowing eyes looked around the room and met with the datapad in Trevelyan's hand. She narrowed her eyes and managed to catch a glimpse of a strand of data on its holographic panel flickering with a red outline. Immediately piqued by what might be stored on it, she finished her drink and pushed it aside. She folded her hands together and cleared her throat.

"What's with the datapad?" Tali asked. Her question snapped him out of his thought and he turned to Tali who pointed at the datapad. "I saw it earlier when Newt and I were standing by the desk on Deck Twelve – what's on it?"

"It's an encrypted transmission. I haven't been able to find a way to decrypt it yet," Trevelyan answered, walking to her as she waved at him and sat down in a now unoccupied chair.

"I am an expert at hacking. Can I give it a go?" She purred.

"By all means."

Trevelyan handed her the datapad with complete trust in her. Tali's fingers scrolled through the encrypted codes, analyzing how deep the encryption was. The Bounty Hunter looked at the young Quarian woman sitting in front of him, scrolling through walls of encrypted data like it was nothing. After five minutes of tapping codes into the datapad, she placed it on the table with a frustrated sigh. She mumbled some Quarian words to herself.

"It's encrypted, and can only be activated by the other datapad linked to this one. Without the other one, no one can read what's stored on it," Tali explained, clenching her hand into a fist. Not once has an encryption been too hard for her to handle. "Sorry, but this kind of security is almost impossible to decrypt without both pieces."

"Don't worry about it, Tali. Thank you for trying," he thanked. "I wonder why Raptor Team gave it to me if you only the other source can activate it. It's almost like someone's on a mission, and if things get out of hand, they activate this... Goliath used the same method of communication long ago in emergencies..."

"Hmm. Weird. Is Goliath som–"

Tali couldn't say anything else. The COM activated again and its usual static filled every corner of the _SSV Normandy_. A female voice cleared her throat and began to speak.

"_This is Commander Shepard. Get some rest, you will need it for tomorrow. We received some troubling news and will assist there. The information we have on this is vague, but troubling. Again, go rest for tomorrow because after this mission, we'll go straight to Feros and assist the colonists there._"

Tali hummed a tune as she walked away, but not before saying goodnight to Trevelyan who in turn said it to her as well. He grabbed a clean plate and filled it with some food Wrex didn't touch. Perhaps he had no interest in it, or he was actually for once full. Though the latter seemed impossible after dozens of missions "working" together. Trevelyan filled it with some vegetables and bread and made his way to Deck Twelve.

As he entered, there was no living soul in sight and the lights were dimmed. He walked further in to find Newt asleep by the window, the sea of nebula and distant moons gleaming on her face. He gently lifted Newt up without waking her and carried her to the bed. She unconsciously moved into a more comfortable position as he covered her under the warm bed sheets. Trevelyan walked back to the desk and placed the datapad back on it, now aware what could trigger it to activate.

"Is this the mission Faería embarked on and didn't want Newt to be part of? What mission could be so important to Bounty Hunters?" He whispered to himself.

Gleams of the stars fell over the desk. He fell asleep in the chair with one hand unconsciously holding on to his sidearm resting on the desk. Several events of today triggered memories of the past that filled his subconscious.

_...Begone. You dare to abandon our ways and leave? You dare to stand alone and defy everything we were taught to be? I knew it. I could see what you really were the moment we met. You are weak and this is evidence of that. You are a traitor. _

_These teachings are wrong, and you know that. You don't want to acknowledge I am right on this. __You are the only one who insists on following this doctrine – even when the ones responsible admitted that it was wrong.__ Why do insist to follow that which will threaten all life in the Galaxy? Wasn't this conflict evidence enough of that?_

_Enough! I refuse to listen to another word of heresy coming from you. Now I shall talk, and you shall listen. Behold Nazara, the Vanguard of Destruction! It showed me visions of those who fought against them; those who all lost. We must join with them if we intend to survive. Let it commune with you and it will show you a glimpse of the future..._


	10. Passing Knowledge

**Passing Knowledge**

* * *

"Trevelyan, are you awake?"

Trevelyan opened his eyes to the tender voice echoing in his helmet. He looked upon a blurry figure leaning over him, gently shaking him by his shoulder. His vision slowly sharpened, the blurry image taking form, and training kicked in as he grabbed Newt's arm, surprising her and she stumbled back into a chair with her eyes widened. She noticed he unconsciously held on to his sidearm that was now pointed at her, his finger removed from the trigger. Newt's eyes locked on the pistol that Trevelyan brought back to the table and stared at it as he clenched his right hand into a fist.

"I'm sorry. I... I had some troubling sleeping last night," he excused, relaxing his hand. "What is on your mind, Newt?"

"I've been thinking about what you said," Newt answered. She noticed he listened carefully and nodded at her to continue. "I've decided to stay, and learn from you."

"I see," Trevelyan sighed, discomfort brimming in his voice – something that alarmed Newt. "Your training will test both you and me."

"So... I'm your protégé, then," she concluded with eagerness to begin.

Trevelyan reached for a slot in his armor, grabbing a small object and placed the shimmering item in her hand. Newt's hand brushed over the smooth surface of a midnight blue, broken nightingale bird insignia strung to a weathered platinum chain, radiating blue energy upon the touch of her fingertip. It felt strangely familiar to her, yet Newt couldn't place it, no matter how hard she tried to search through her memories.

"What is this?" Newt ask, piqued by the energy flowing through it. "I've never seen anything like it before. Yet it looks familiar..."

"It is a pendant that belonged to a friend I knew a long time ago. Her memories are stored in it, but your mother could tell you more about it," Trevelyan answered though it created more questions on Newt's behalf.

"Really? My mother?"

"...Yes."

His vague answer piqued Newt's interest, but she nodded instead of inquiring more about it. She placed the pendant around her neck and felt it bolster her combat suit's properties with more energy. A sudden shift in the _SSV Normandy's_ gravity caused the now-cold tea to ripple, drawing both their attentions. They walked to the window to look at a familiar terrestrial world in the distance: Earth. Painful memories struck Trevelyan's mind and heart as he remembered how Earth looked all those years ago – a completely different planet back then.

"_ETA to received coordinates on Luna: Nine minutes._" The Normandy V.I. announced as its robotic voice rang throughout the ship.

The elevator arrived at Deck Twelve. Newt turned around to the Commanders and gently elbowed Trevelyan in his side to snap him out of his thoughts. He turned around to the Commanders who were fully geared up for, what he assumed, a mission on Luna. They dragged their eyes to Trevelyan who stayed silent as he waited for them to speak.

"We are going to an Alliance training ground on Luna. Apparently, the training V.I. there has gone rogue. Do you want to come?" John asked, his voice already in his on-the-mission state; cold, and calculative.

"With your permission, I'd like to stay aboard the _SSV Normandy_ and begin Newt's training," Trevelyan answered respectful.

"Granted. Garrus and Tali are also sitting this one out," Jane replied. "Will you render assistance on Feros?"

"While I can't speak for Newt, I most certainly will, Commander," Trevelyan assured, nodding once.

"I will help too," added Newt hastily.

"Glad to hear it."

"Good luck on Luna, Commanders."

The Commanders waved them off as they headed for the elevator, but John stopped when boiling fluids to his right caught his attention; the same liquid that made the Bounty Hunter wince back on the Citadel. John sniffed and jumped back at the smell. His sister rolled with her eyes at him and pulled her brother into the elevator. Back by the window, Newt and Trevelyan could see the ship land in a large crater on the moon. The Mako left with a trail of tracks following it.

Trevelyan waved two fingers at Newt to walk over. He tapped codes into the holographic dash of the desk, activating different protocols. Newt looked over her shoulder at the elevator door opening and Garrus and Tali walked out. The Quarian looked overwhelmed at all the experimental technology on the Deck, but shifted her attention to Trevelyan. Garrus picked up the pace towards the three, sniper equipped.

"Mind if I test one of the sniper simulations? I'd like to see what it got," Garrus requested. Trevelyan went through downloaded simulations and pointed at a small firing lane in the corner of the Deck.

"I've been thinking about the datapad, and I think I know a way to break through its encryption," Tali explained as Trevelyan looked at her.

"You're persistent, Tali. An admirable quality," he remarked, handing her the datapad.

She purred at his words, taking the datapad. Tali sat down by another table and pulled out a bottle filled with the same substance she drank last time. Trevelyan returned his attention to Newt who started searching through the available simulations. She stopped her movement as his eyes burned on her.

"Searching for anything in particular, Newt?" He asked.

"I'm interested in pilot simulations. Are there any?"

Trevelyan nodded at her. She moved away as he leaned over the dash, searching for simulations. He scrolled down until he found the sub-category and continued his search. Newt stood on her toes, looking over his shoulder at what he did.

"I found one: Raven-class ship though – not anything like the _SSV Normandy_ or _Destiny Ascension_ if that is what you are looking for," Trevelyan answered. He noticed Newt leaning over him, her hand cupped on her chin.

"Sounds cool. How does it work?" She asked, moving back as Trevelyan did.

He walked to the armor stands and grabbed a helmet of it. He handed the helmet to Newt as he sat her down in a hardlight chair created by the particles in the room. It looked identical to that of a pilot's seat, controls by its side. The helmet felt heavier than she initially thought as Newt put it on, now connected to the simulation. Various options flickered on her HUD. She gave Trevelyan a thumbs up though she couldn't see where he stood in the room as Newt could only see an artificial world. A set of hands grabbed her shoulders, startling her.

"I'll activate the basic starter test routine. All you have to do is learn the controls of the Raven and fly around. You cannot crash – unless you fly into a mountain – which I wouldn't recommend, Newt," Trevelyan explained. "I taught you the basics of using weapons and you can master those easily in the next training session, so I don't mind you learning to fly. But after that, we'll switch to biotics and tech."

"You mean stuff like Overload and Singularities, right?" Newt thought.

"Yeah, something like that. I'll finish constructing a different weapon for you to use while you learn to pilot."

He walked back to the unfinished weapon on the bench. Trevelyan looked bewildered at a gunshot crossing the Deck, deflecting over the walls until it impacted into a holographic dummy on the firing lane. Tali and he turned to Garrus whose gun smoked as he chuckled proudly. He twitched his mandibles as he looked around the room, following the bullet's trajectory on his visor and met with Tali who had nutrient paste dripping off her mask. The shot created a hole in the bottle, but it managed to barely deflect it. A tense silence filled the air.

"Did I do that?" Newt asked, ending the silence.

"Garrus, what were you thinking?" Tali huffed, clearing her mask. Her cold glare pierced into Garrus who got up.

"I was just testing an ammunition mod I developed," he explained, trying to calm her down. "I'll buy you a new bottle, my treat."

"Okay, so it wasn't me..."

Trevelyan shook his head at Newt's words with a grin concealed behind his helmet. He reassembled the weapon's chassis, following the modified blueprint. He removed the safety clip and readied the rifle, changing it into fully-extended fire mode. Trevelyan walked up to Garrus who returned to firing "normally" at the dummies. Garrus moved out of the way and looked at the modified M-7 Lancer; a relic used in the First Contact War. It created a blue laser sight, similar to that of the Phalanx and fired a shot of energy at the dummy, annihilating it after pulling the trigger for the fourth time.

"Doesn't kill the target fast enough if you ask me," Garrus stated flatly.

"I don't have the resources to create something more durable. However, it's still lighter and more accurate than the M-8 Avenger," Trevelyan answered. He looked over his shoulder to check on Newt who moved the holographic controls of the pilot's seat, focused on flying.

"I think Tali's mad at me," Garrus suddenly whispered. "Did you see that cold glare earlier?"

"Well, you did break her sealed bottle. Quarians can't eat exposed food, unless it's on the Flotilla, I believe. Or dextro foods." He looked at Garrus who narrowed his eyes as he stared at Tali working on the datapad. "She probably has a replacement for it. Don't worry."

"Maybe I should give her some of my Turian dextro chocolate that Dr. Michelle gave me," Garrus pondered.

"Just talk to her," Trevelyan added.

Garrus took a deep breath and nodded as he walked up to her, resting his sniper on his back. He sat down on the edge of the table, making some gestures at Tali who looked up at him. Trevelyan, however, looked at Newt suddenly turning the controls all the way to the left. She laughed and brought the controls back to the center.

Trevelyan placed the weapon back on its stand and walked to the desk. It created another chair next to Newt. He looked over his shoulder at Tali and Garrus talking and back to Newt. After aligning his suit with the simulation, he sat down next to Newt to see her flight capabilities first-hand. Newt looked at the top right of her screen at a flashing transmission. She didn't have time to pay attention to it when another Raven flew through the sky ahead. It broke off its flight course and pulled a dangerous turn towards Newt's current flight path. The ship came closer and rolled to the right, evading her and turned around to join her flight.

"You didn't even try to evade, Newt. I could have crashed into you," Trevelyan stated.

"Sorry," she excused.

"Don't worry. Let's try some evasive maneuvers, alright?"

"How? Are you going to fire at me?"

Various strands of code appeared on both their helmets. Trevelyan changed the simulation by entering a new protocol. A squadron of hostile Ravens formed up behind them and followed their current flight path. Newt looked at the dash flashing with red signs, warning her of several target-locks on her Raven. The hostile artificial constructs didn't fire, they simply followed. She looked at Trevelyan's Raven flying next to her.

"All right. I switched us to another simulation." His ship engulfed itself with white shielding, as did hers. "Hostile fighters will engage us. It's our job to use evasive maneuvers to avoid the incoming fire. While they can't take us down, you will experience turbulence and what will happen if you get shot."

"I'm ready," Newt said adamantly.

"Let's begin."

They broke off their current flight course as the hostile Ravens opened fire. She held her breath and pulled the controls up as she passed under a bridge and flew over it upside down. It managed to elude two Ravens. The others broke off pursuit and moved ahead of Newt's ship. Two missiles moved around the mountain and advanced on her coordinates. The screen on her dash flickered up with the two missiles closing in on her. The nose of the Raven dropped down as she adjusted her terminal velocity towards the surface and pulled up when she was close to the ground, but the missiles managed to keep following her and hit her thrusters causing her to lose control. The Raven adjusted its own thrusters to balance itself just above the ground. Newt let out a frustrated sigh and brought it back in the air and saw Trevelyan rolling his Raven around to elegantly evade incoming blasts from five fighters.

"Trevelyan, a little help. How do I stop these missiles from following me?" Newt asked when the same two missiles flew around the mountain again. She pulled up and sheered around the mountain. The missiles came around, advancing on the Raven.

"Reverse thrusters," he advised.

She reversed the thrusters and held on to her seat as the world ahead of her spun around. The Raven rolled and the missiles moved into each others path, exploding.

"You got them, Newt," Trevelyan congratulated. "You'll have to be careful this round. Hostile Ravens will try to knock you off balance."

"Knock me o–" One of the hostile constructs bumped its own Raven into Newt's. "I don't really like this one. Can I skip it?"

"Think, Newt. Look at your surroundings and use it to your advantage."

She narrowed her eyes and looked around the hollow inside of the mountain. Newt adjusted her course towards a small crack in the mountain's side leading to the outside. The Raven increased its speed and raced ahead with two hostile constructs bumping into her. She turned the controls to the right, holding it in that position as best she could. The Raven knocked the two others out of the way and into the mountain as she flew vertically through the crack. Trevelyan met up with her at the rendezvous point. The valley ahead of them materialized with a large landing lane as Trevelyan activated the last simulation.

"Last simulation for now. Emergency landing," he explained.

"Sounds easy enough after all this," Newt assumed. He replied with a simple chuckle.

The stabilizers in the Raven deactivated. Newt tried to fire up the emergency booster engines to slow down her velocity towards the landing lane. They didn't work, and Newt realized what Trevelyan said: Emergency landing. She grabbed hold of the controls. The Raven raced towards the landing lane and screeched over the metal ground. She lost control, sending the fighter into a tower that collapsed upon impact. It slowed down the Raven's speed until it completely stopped moving.

The simulation ended. The world on their helmets vaporized into small, orange particles. Newt took off her helmet with shaking arms and looked at Trevelyan who offered his hand to her.

"What a happy landing, Newt. You "landed" AND managed to destroy a tower worth a hundred and fifty million credits," Trevelyan congratulated.

"This was just basic training in flying? It's harder than I thought. I want to redo this one alone a few times," Newt replied, stumbling forward, still under the effect of the adrenaline of flying for the first time.

"We'll start each day with actual training. After that you can do flight simulations. Deal?" Trevelyan offered.

"Sounds good."

An orange light went off on the Deck. Garrus and Tali also looked up at the light. They could see a small cloud of dust outside of the window as the _SSV Normandy_ took off. Static rang over the COM.

"_Commander Shepard's personal team is requested to the COM Room,_" the Normandy V.I. announced.

"Newt, take this." Trevelyan handed her the modified M-7 Lancer. "Gear up, we're going to Feros."

"Right."

Newt grabbed her armor and geared up. The lights on her helmet flickered on as everything sealed off. She got used to the weird sensation of the clean air she inhaled and walked with the others into the elevator. The four walked to the COM Room, joining the others inside. After Wrex and Jenkins joined them, they all sat down. The Commander activated the screen in the room, showing the colony on Feros – Zhu's Hope – now under attack from the Geth.


	11. Geth Occupation

**Geth Occupation  
**

* * *

Prothean megalopolis dotted the surface of Feros as far as the eye could see, even reaching up through the clouds. They cast long shadows over the bridges that connected them to each other. The _SSV Normandy_ maneuvered around the fragile towers to the landing dock. After a heated argument in the COM Room that made its way to the airlock, the Commanders decided to keep the team together rather than splitting them up. The group walked out of the airlock, and sensed the warning feeling. A civilian walked up to them, hand raised to stop them.

"We saw your ship. Fai Dan wants to speak with you immediately," the man said under the severe stress and lack of rest, bags under his eyes giving him away. "He needs your help with the Geth. They are making another push. Please, up the sta–"

A burst of red energy glimmered on the man's unprotected back. Another shot rang in the air. A splash of blood spread over the Commander's face, temporarily blinding her as it carried the sparkling red energy with it. John pulled her back behind him, his shields absorbing the incoming gunfire as he moved her out of the line of fire. The team took up defensive positions as the Geth aggressively advanced on them. Wrex leaned out of cover, returning bursts of red energy with his shotgun while Williams covered him. Thick beams of light appeared through the cloud of dust ahead. A squad of Geth Prime walked out of it, unleashing a hellish fury soaring through the air. The broken pillars serving as cover started to crack.

To change the odds, Tali ghosted forward through the low-hanging cloud of dust. She hacked into a Geth Prime's systems and it engaged the other Geth in combat. John and Garrus fired their snipers simultaneously at an exposed Geth Prime's optics, shooting its flashlight-head clean off. With extensive medical training, Trevelyan cleaned the Commander's eyes of blood. The veins in her eyes were bright red and swollen due to an allergic reaction of the blood. He pulled her away from the broken pillar as it crumbled to pieces after Geth plasma impacted on it. She used her biotics to exert extreme force on the Geth Prime's exterior, crushing it. The gunfire died, a tense silence filling the air.

"Clear!" Alenko shouted, creating a path through the dust that startled to settle.

Green signals flickered steadily on John's Omni-Tool. He walked to Trevelyan who tended to Jane's eyes. Her emerald eyes looked up, allowing Trevelyan to remove the remaining miniscule intrusive blood bubbles on her eyeball. He then tended to her other eye, doing the same procedure.

"Everything alright?" John asked, looking at Trevelyan wiping what looked like a tear off her face and backed up.

"No permanent damage. Shouldn't let the blood bubbles on her eye and risk an infection though," Trevelyan answered. He looked at the Commander blinking several times, preventing her eyes from drying out. "There may be some minor irritation for a few minutes up to an hour."

"I still look great with two big red flashlight eyes, right?" She joked.

"Just as good as ever, Commander."

"All right. Let's get to Zhu's Hope. We need to know what's going on here," John stated flatly, waving with his weapon at the group to follow him.

They walked up the dark, gloomy staircase. Garrus twitched his mandibles nervously, raising his sniper and turned to a dark corner of the stairwell. He peered into the void and relaxed when his doubts subsided. Traumatized soldiers and civilians greeted them atop the stairs. They weren't Alliance soldiers, but they expressed their gratitude towards the Commanders for aiding them. John signaled them to head through the building ahead. On the other side stood two Humans; a man in civilian clothing and a woman in mercenary-grade armor – though she looked more like a rent-a-cop to Trevelyan. They looked up at the group of eleven walking up to them. The woman dragged her glare to the Commanders with utmost repugnance.

"Oh, Commanders. I'm glad they finally sent someone to help us," Fai Dan cried out in gratitude.

"You're a bit late, aren't you?" The woman growled. Wrex stepped towards her, his big physique intimidating her as she wisely stepped back. But the facts were at her side. If it weren't for an asteroid threatening the lives of millions – they'd be here a lot sooner.

"Arcelia!" He yelled. Fai Dan shifted his gaze back to the team. "Sorry, Commanders. Everyone's on edge since–"

"Hostiles incoming, Commanders. There are Geth in the tower ahead of us," Liara notified. John and Jenkins formed up on her. The others took up defensive positions around the tower's entrance, waiting for the Geth to reveal themselves.

"Protect the heart of the colony! Commanders, the Geth have some kind of transmitter active in the tower. If can you disable it, it would help us immensely." Fai Dan shouted over the gunfire, guiding several colonists to the building.

"We'll get it done."

Jane destroyed two Geth with well-placed shots to their optics. They hurried into the tower when screams of people echoed through the halls. With a cold feeling turning their stomachs upside down, they ran around the corner to find smoldering remains on the ground. A Geth Dropship flew overhead, dropping ground forces through a crack in the roof. Loud thuds rang through the room. The ship adjusted its flight path and disappeared. Alenko and Williams ran to the left up a ramp, supporting the others with additional gunfire from higher ground. The last Geth laid motionless amongst the rubble.

The irritation in the Commander's eyes was almost completely gone. She raised her left arm and activated her Omni-Tool, scanning through the area. It showed the Geth Transmitter Fai Dan mentioned, along with other points of interest. After securing the room, the others gathered around hologram of the area.

"I say we split into three teams and head for those objectives. Saves us time," John suggested. The others nodded at him. "I'll take Liara, Wrex and Jenkins with me to the Geth Transmitter."

"Williams, you take Garrus, Alenko and Tali with you to the water valves," Jane added. "I'll take Newt and Trevelyan with me to investigate that distress signal."

"The rendezvous point is the entrance of the tower – head there once you completed your assignment."

They headed out. Before he departed, John made sure for Trevelyan to keep an eye on his sister. The Bounty Hunter replied with a firm nod before they split ways. Williams looked uneasily at Wrex and the other non-Humans, pondering if it was the Commander's intent to assign them to her team purposely. Allied ID-Tags disappeared beyond the range of their radars – they had to rely on the others in their team now.

* * *

**Feros, Zhu's Hope. Time:**  
– **Immediate Into Reconnaissance Patrol –**

John's team advanced on the door ahead. He looked back at Williams' team disappearing into a tunnel to the far right. His finger tapped a code into the holographic panel of the door and opened it. They peered into a thick darkness ahead. Water clattered into a small puddle under a broken pipe, echoing through the hall. The wind carried a man's scream. The four tried to localize it, but it came from too far away. The Commander set foot inside first, gesturing at the rest to stay by the door. He pushed his body into cover when lights flickered in the distance. He looked back at the entrance, waving at them with two fingers to enter.

Jenkins moved ahead, setting himself up to get a clear shot at the Geth ahead. Geth silhouettes emerged over the railing above them. Two laser pointers brushed over his armor. Before the Geth Snipers could fire, Liara managed to hit both of them with one blast of stasis. She then proceeded to loosen a pipe above them, crushing the immobile Geth. The bridge overhead collapsed with the extra weight. Loud footsteps rang from ahead, and Krogan Battlemasters stormed around the corner. With a heavy heart, Wrex brought his shotgun up to the enemy Krogan whom were among the few remaining Battlemasters, and fired. John joined in the crossfire. The lifeless bodies fell in the warm puddles of blood on the ground. They ran ahead towards the Geth Transmitter. A sharp pain met with Jenkins' chest, and in the next instant he felt his body lying on the ground. No matter how many times he tried, his body refused to move. Liara grabbed Jenkins, pulling him to cover when another figure loomed over her. The Krogan Battlemaster needed only to swing once to send the Asari into the wall. The moment she moved, her hands grabbed her side in pain. John and Wrex tore through the Krogan's shields, finally overpowering him.

Jenkins felt a sharp pain spread over his abdomen, but got up. He looked back at Wrex placing charges around the Geth Transmitter and to John who tended to Liara. After a few moments of collecting herself, she got up with the help of the Commander. Wrex detonated the charges, and the Geth signal faded away on the active broadband.

"Are you all right?" The Commander asked, his fingers brushing over Liara's chest to find any protruding bones.

"I'm fine, Commander."

John turned to Jenkins who waved at the Commander that he was fine. Wrex busily looted the dead for some extra credits and ammo. The Commander tried to make a COM channel to the other teams, but they replied with unsettling silence. For a second John thought they were just busy with their objectives, but gunfire rang from outside. They ran to the sound, finding the Geth setting up defensive positions on their side of the tunnel. On the other side they could see that Williams' team had been pinned down by Geth from three different sides. What was so important for the Geth to keep the water valves shut down?

"Jane, come in. Can you hear me?" John whispered over the COM. He and the others took cover when more Geth arrived.

The Commander pointed at Jenkins' belt and dragged his finger towards the Geth. Jenkins undid his grenade belt and elegantly threw it by the Geth's feet. He pressed the trigger. The blast send forth a large cloud of dust polluting the area. At least a dozen hostile markers on their radars disappeared. The Commander and Wrex took point. They jumped into the tunnel when a Geth Dropship flew overhead, opening fire on the moving team. It stayed in the air, scanning the area.

"We need assistance from your sister's team. Why aren't they responding, Commander?" Liara asked.

"They probably have to deal with hostiles as well, Liara."

"We can cut straight through this and head to Williams' team. Just keep low," Wrex cut in.

They coughed at the thick layer of dust settling in their lungs. John looked over the broken pillar at the tunnel ahead of them – a very exposed tunnel – and the Geth Dropship could hit them if they moved too slow.

"Negative, Wrex. We would get incinerated by Geth plasma," the Commander concluded.

"I'll stay at this point and draw the ship's attention while you make a run for it," Jenkins suggested much to the Commander's surprise. John knew all too well that the Corporal desperately wanted to show everyone what he was capable of, but this was extreme. Jenkins grabbed his sniper and nodded at the Commander. "Go on, Commander. I can handle it."

John wasn't exactly pleased with the made up plan, but forcibly set his doubts aside. He grabbed a personalized ammunition mod and handed it to the Corporal. A high-explosive round impacted on the Geth Dropship. The plan worked, the three ghosting through the tunnel to the other side. The ship did, however, direct its attention back to the advancing organics in the tunnel. With the Geth Dropship gone, Jenkins took his chances and moved through the tunnel as well. He fired at a Geth aiming its rifle at Tali's back. The two teams met up. Now doubled in number, they fought off the remaining Geth. The Geth Dropship returned, now dangerously close to the railing and ground. It fired without pause at the organics taking cover. Three of the eight life-signs flickered yellow. The Commander pulled Williams up and injected medi-gel into her wound. Garrus patched his own shoulder up and Wrex pushed the rubble off him.

"You've got to be kidding me. We're stuck!" Williams shouted. She leaned out of cover and fired her assault rifle at the Dropship. It had little effect on its superior shielding.

"Can't we just call in the _SSV Normandy_ to blow it up?" Wrex growled over the returning gunfire.

"We are too close to the Geth Dropship. If it explodes, we'll get hit too," Liara explained. She looked over her shoulder at a civilian standing by the railing, exposed to the Geth. He looked traumatized, yet unfazed by the sight of the Geth Dropship. "Goddess... Get out of there!"

The man heard her bellowing yell. He had a pained expression on his face and stumbled over his own footing as he ran away. The Commander leaned out of cover, trying to find a vulnerability on the ship to exploit. He hid back behind cover. The gunfire stopped. John felt sweat pour off his face as he considered making a run for it. Even though he knew the outcome – the Commander made up his mind.

"All right. We are going to make a run for it." His suggestion created conflicted expressions on all of them.

"No offense, Skipper... but, what the hell?!"

"We have to try."

They agreed though they didn't exactly like the plan. The Commander threw a rock in the opposite direction. As soon as the Geth Dropship fired at it, they all ran towards the other end of the tunnels.

* * *

**Feros, Zhu's Hope. Time:**  
– **One Hour Into Reconnaissance Patrol –**

A Varren leaped towards a rock rolling into the burning area. It met its demise at the hands of small arms fire and the Commander walked in with Trevelyan and Newt covering her. No life signs on their radars. They lowered their guards and spread around the area to search for clues. Trevelyan maneuvered around the dancing fire to the destroyed M29 IFV. While mostly incinerated, the power cells were still unscathed and functional. In case they could be used at Zhu's Hope, he held on to them. Newt jerked her head to the sound of whining. She knelt on the ground, peering into a small hole created between the rubble. In the blink of an eye, a creature jumped out of it and set its teeth in her armored thigh. Newt managed to land a punch and break the Varren's fang. Before Jane and Trevelyan could reach her, other Varren spread around them.

"Newt, grab you sidearm!" He yelled.

The much larger Varren played with Newt in its maw, like a predator with a helpless prey. She barely managed to grab hold of her Phalanx as the Varren shook her body around. Newt fired without aiming and landed the shot in its eye. It let go off her and howled in pain. She continued to fire repeatedly until the pistol overheated. The Alpha Varren dropped into its own pool of purple blood, gurgling until it let out its final breath. With the Alpha Varren – the pack leader – gone, the remaining Varren fled back into their holes.

"Newt, you all right?" The Commander asked, running up to her. The armor she bore was unscathed with no scratches or dents received from the Varren's teeth.

"You did good," Trevelyan added.

They looked up at the howling wind. A Geth Dropship flew over them to another area near the water valves. The team finished their search for anything valuable. They rushed around the corner to the water valves when the wind carried the sound of Ship-class gunfire. Geth bodies littered around the tunnel they entered. Before any could react, other people bumped into the three, everyone falling over each other. Trevelyan looked over the others at a Geth Dropship nearing them and pushed Newt and Liara off him into cover. The others quickly got up and took cover.

"This has to be the worst timing ever," John grumbled at his sister. "Now, we are all stuck with this damn ship waiting for us to move."

"Can't Tali just hack into the ship?" Jane asked.

"No. The ship works on different protocols and data – it's not like hacking a Geth trooper," Tali explained.

"What about overloading its systems with junk data and protocols?" Asked Trevelyan.

"I could try, but it would require a direct link to the ship. Right now there is a shield between that," she answered. "I don't think we can get through that shield."

"Leave that to me," he calmly replied. "Garrus, I need your help to distract the ship for a few seconds."

"Got it," he replied, twitching his mandibles. He positioned himself between some rubble and aimed at the ship's nose. It again fell for the same trick.

Trevelyan raised his right hand up to the Geth Dropship as he walked out of cover. A ball of white light hovered in his palm and shot bolts of energy towards its shields. It enervated the shields that flared up upon contact. He raised his other hand, doing the same thing. The prolonged stress of energy started to mentally exhaust him. The shields started to fade away after five minutes of resistance. Tali took her shot and raced towards the ship to send junk data into it. The Geth Constructs in the ship managed to block Tali out of the system, and fled. The ship pulled a dangerous turn and flew away into the sky. Trevelyan dropped to his knee, exhausted and looked up at the Commanders offering their hands to him. They pulled him up with some questioning looks.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just... need to relax a little."

"Let's get back to Zhu's Hope. We need to notify them that the Geth have been rooted out of the tunnels."

They made their way back to Zhu's Hope where Fai Dan nervously waited for them to return. They could see the man pacing. He walked up to the Commanders with a relieved expression. The colonists already noticed the Geth had retreated back to their base of operations: the ExoGeni compound.

"Commander, I'm glad you are alright. We noticed the Geth have retreated," Fai Dan said.

"Yes, we destroyed the Geth Transmitter in the tunnels. We also reactivated the water valves," John replied.

"Good, that will most certainly help get Zhu's Hope back up to speed."

"Did you find anything else in the tunnels to restore power?" Another civilian asked.

"I found these power cells in a downed M29 IFV. Not sure if they are up for the job though," Trevelyan answered, handing her the power cells.

"Oh, we can definitely use these for now. Thanks."

"What about food? I need to boost our supply with meat, but I cannot get close enough to those damn Varren with their pack leader," another man spoke.

"The Alpha Varren's dead. You can safely go out there and boost your food supply. I'll have our pilot contact the Alliance to send a ship with supplies," Jane said. She opened a channel to the _SSV Normandy_. "Joker, contact the Alliance to send a ship with food supplies for Zhu's Hope."

"_Roget that, Commander._"

A huge burden fell of Fai Dan's shoulders. They returned to their former duties to get the colony back up. The Commander looked over her shoulder at John tending to Liara, and Williams bandaging her wound. Trevelyan and Newt sat in the distance, discussing something out of hearing range. Despite wearing full armor, his exhaustion showed in his body language; resting his head against his hand.

"Trevelyan, Newt, I want you two to stay at Zhu's Hope. And discourage the curious."

"_Copy that._"

Trevelyan walked up to Arcelia while Newt talked to a group of civilians. The Commanders took the weathered elevator up. Gunfire could be heard on the other side of the door. Human soldiers who bore the same armor as Arcelia engaged Geth hostiles. The Commander's team rushed out, engaging the Geth. Wrex headbutted the last one down and shot its head off.

"Clear."

"Great, we have to get into small Mako again. Who's bright idea is it to decide we should get into it? I'd love to "talk" with that guy," Wrex cried out at the small space in the Mako.

After a short struggle, they sat down inside the vehicle. This time John had himself positioned behind the Mako's controls instead of his sister. She activated the Mako's shielding and weapon systems and nodded at her brother to move.


	12. Driving On Clouds

**Driving on Clouds  
**

* * *

The Mako spurted forward into the awaiting clouds that almost completely blocked all their sight. The Commander activated the lights on the Mako, but it had little effect. Jane switched the Mako's screen to tactical, showing outlines of objects ahead of them. They could spot a faint blue light ahead. A burst of plasma moved through the air, impacting on the Mako's shielding. Several red outlines appeared in the distance; Geth Armatures and Juggernauts. The Commander steered to the right, vaporous flames flickering on the bridge. The Mako's automated systems engaged the hostiles. Everything on the bridge suddenly lost control when a strong wind passed through. What was he thinking? The Commander wouldn't let some wind knock them off a bridge. He'd get everyone through this alive. John pulled the controls back to the center, driving over all the Geth in his way to the other side. The vehicle disappeared deeper into the thick clouds.

The Commander peered through the thick clouds and spotted a metal door ahead, the light reflecting off the smooth surface of the door. As they came closer, in an automated response, it reacted to their presence and slid open. They drove into a ruined tunnel, sunlight creating thick beams passing through the cracks in the ceiling. Another frequency on their broadband came within their range.

"We've got movement... some kind of vehicle. Not one of the Geth," a mysterious female voice said.

"Sounds like they've spotted us. They must be close," Williams thought aloud.

"Forget them. We need to deal with the Geth," Garrus snapped.

"We always help civilians and the innocent, Garrus. Come on, let's go," Jane explained and looked over her shoulder at Garrus who thought about what she said.

John parked the Mako next to the ramp leading to an underground building. Because none of them could tell what the situation was down there, the team advanced into the building with their weapons raised. ExoGeni guards greeted them and lowered their weapons. The Commanders did the same, nodding at the team to relax. One of the guards pointed to a woman and man arguing in the center of the room. The man wore a standard ExoGeni-issue lab-coat and raised his hand at the Commanders walking up to him.

"That's close enough!" He yelled.

"Relax, Jeong. They're obviously not Geth," the woman said, trying to calm Jeong down.

"Get back, Juliana!" He continued manically. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"We are Commanders Shepard. We are here to remove your Geth problem," John answered coolly.

"You see? You worry too much," Juliana proceeded slowly.

"And you trust too easily, Juliana." Jeong dragged his glare back to Juliana who sighed at him.

"I'm just glad to see a friendly face. I thought we were the only Humans left on this planet."

"Fai Dan and some of the members of Zhu's Hope are still alive," Jenkins explained.

"They're not dead, but the Geth really pounded them," Ashley added.

"That's an understatement," Wrex cut in. Williams and Wrex turned to each other, throwing cold glares back and forth.

"We'll do what we can to keep them away from you. But I need information," John continued.

"The Geth are up in the ExoGeni headquarters. Just a bit further along the skyway," Juliana explained. "Another thi–"

"Those headquarters are private property, soldiers. Remove the Geth and nothing else," Jeong growled, a threatening tone in his voice.

"Shut up," Tali purred.

"Another thing, Commander. Before you go... my daughter, Lizbeth. She's missing," she finished.

"We can do a proper accounting of our casualties after the Geth are gone," Jeong suggested.

"We'll find her. Don't worry," Jane replied, ignoring Jeong's petty threats and snide words. "Stay bunkered down until we find what the Geth are after."

They quickly left the negative air in the room behind, and they were all sure it solely came from Jeong. That man had evil written all over him. John sat back down behind the Mako's controls and drove up the ramps. The door to the far left opened. Geth stood on the other side, ready to attack the Commanders head on. Jane managed to land a shot between the weak spots of the rubble ahead with the Mako's main gun, annihilating all Geth. The clouds started to dissolve as they continued. A blue light flickered on the dash and Jane activated the incoming transmission. Newt's helmet up-link filled the holographic screen of the Mako.

"_Uh, Commander? Can you hear me? Trevelyan wanted me to, uh, contact you to give an update on Zhu's Hope._"

"Loud and clear, Newt. What's going on? Where is everybody?" Jane asked, seeing that Zhu's Hope appeared to be abandoned.

"_That's the thing. Apparently, they started to act very weird, experiencing headaches and lose control over themselves. Trevelyan and I had to... restrain them and locked them inside the building._"

"Where is Trevelyan?"

Jane looked at Newt looking around her. She stood on higher ground – on one of the buildings. A familiar figure walked out of the distance, shaking his head at Newt. Trevelyan jumped up, using what looked like thrusters build into the side his boots to reach her position.

"_Hey... The Commander wants to talk to you._"

"Trevelyan, what's going on over there?" Jane snapped again.

"_It's like what Newt said. The colonists suddenly experienced painful headaches and lost control over their actions. I decided to lock them inside the buildings so they cannot harm others. But that's not all..._" Trevelyan pointed towards the entrance of Zhu's Hope. Newt zoomed in so the Commanders had a clear view of the weird creatures curled up on the ground. "_These weird creatures started to pop up while I was searching for Fai Dan. The guy literally disappeared into thin air – I cannot find him. I can do another perimeter sweep but..._"

"Don't bother. If he's gone, he's gone. Stay there and feed us new information on what happens back there," Jane ordered.

"_You got it._"

The up-link disappeared from the Mako's screen. John drove on until they reached a small passage that forced them to continue on foot. Jane cupped her hand on her chin, wondering what could possibly have effect on all civilians back at Zhu's Hope. And how come Newt and Trevelyan aren't affected by it? They all left the Mako, and John looked back at the others.

"Alenko, Williams, Jenkins and Wrex, keep the Mako secured."

"We won't let anything happen to it," Kaidan reassured, nodding at the Commanders. Williams nodded, too.

The team moved through the small passage to a large open area. On the railing to their left, the Geth took up formations, aiming their snipers at the team. Garrus swung his sniper from his back and fired at the Geth snipers, taking them down. They climbed up the broken ramp to the Geth's position. There was a large energy barrier blocking their path, forcing them to take a detour.

"Looks like a one-way drop, Commander," said Tali.

They jumped into the opening. Another open area stretched before them at the end of the hallway. With their weapons raised, the group walked into the next area. To their right was another barrier – this one much larger – blocking the road. Jane knelt down a dead Varren. It was a fresh kill. A gunshot passed her and Jane aimed her pistol at the shooter. A young woman trembled as she lowered the pistol when she got a better look at them.

"I'm so sorry. I thought you were Geth, or one of those Varren," she excused. The team lowered their weapons. "I'm Lizbeth Baynham."

"You're safe now. But why are you here in the first place?" John asked.

"It's my own fault. Everyone else was running and I stayed back to back up data," Lizbeth started to explain. "Next thing I knew, the Geth ship latched on and the power went out. I was trapped. I tried to get out, but the way was blocked."

"We'll get you out of here as soon as we find out what the Geth are after."

"It's not the Geth; it's the energy field they put up. They don't want anyone else getting access to the–" Lizbeth stopped talking as she hesitated to tell them any more.

"We are here for the Geth. It's very important we find out what they're after," Liara said, urging Lizbeth to tell them.

"I don't know for certain, but I'm guessing they're here for the Thorian."

Jane activated a COM channel to Trevelyan. "Trevelyan, have you ever heard of something called "the Thorian"?"

"_Sounds like some kind of vegetable to me..._" He answered.

"Thanks for the valuable input," the Commander replied sarcastically.

"_Hey! At least let me guess, Com–_"

Jane turned off the COM with a chuckle before he could finish. She turned back to John who looked expectantly at her. He looked concerned when his sister shook her head with a serious expression. They turned back to Lizbeth who held her hands nervously.

"What's a Thorian?" Garrus asked.

"It's an indigenous life-form. ExoGeni was studying it. I really don't know that much about it. I think it is some kind of plant being. I know it is very old. Thousands of years, even."

"Incredible. This... Thorian would be very interesting to study," Liara thought out loud, her scientific curiosity getting the better of her.

"What else can you tell us? Do you know where we can find this Thorian?" Asked John.

"I might be able to, but not with those Geth crawling around everywhere. Look, we need to get out of here, past that field."

"It's coming from the Geth ship itself. It's anchored to the side of the building with "claws". All we need to do is weaken or break one and the ship will fall," Tali explained.

"Here, take my ID. This should get you past any locked doors," Lizbeth said, handing the Commander her ID card.

Growls echoed through the area and Varren leaped out of the darkest corners towards the Commanders. Lizbeth quickly went back to her hiding spot from where she watched the team fight the wild animals off. Liara send one of the Varren into twisted metal, impaling it with her biotics. More packs of Varren ran out of their holes, outnumbering the team. John grabbed another pistol of his hip, dual wielding them and fired at the advancing Varren. Garrus and Jane picked off any Varren in the distance while Tali killed any that managed to get through. Dead Varren and puddles of blood littered the area. They walked over the other side of the area and opened the door using Lizbeth's ID card. The Commanders took point, climbing the staircase.

"...Stupid machine! Access encrypted files!" Krogan roared in anger. "No, I don't want to review protocol!"

"I am unable to comply. Please contact your supervisor," a V.I. replied. The Krogan Commander stepped forward, angered by the V.I..

"Damn it. Tell me what I want or I'll blast your virtual ass into actual dust!" He threatened, aiming his shotgun at the hologram.

"Please contact your supervisor for a Level Four security exemption or make an appointment with–"

"Stupid machine!" He cried out in frustration, cupping his face in his hands.

"If there is nothing else, please step aside. There is a queue forming behind you for the use of this console," the V.I. requested when it could see the Commander sneaking up to the Krogan.

John slammed his face into the floor at the V.I. giving his presence away. Before the Krogan Commander could stomp on John, Liara pummeled him back into the wall with her biotics. In a fit of rage, the Krogan used his immunity to absorb the damage. For a moment the team thought they had overpowered the Krogan when he held his arms in front of him, covering his face. But out of nowhere it headbutted Garrus and slammed Liara into the wall. He then proceeded to knee John and throw Jane through the annoying V.I. while he held Garrus down with his free arm. Tali took her chances and hit the Krogan in his back and proceeded to shoot him in his knee. He used a biotic throw to knock Tali's shotgun out of her hands and charged up to her. She barely managed to roll away. He loomed over her, raising both arms. Tali dodged the hammer swing and kicked him in the face, her combat knife opening his jaw. She knew she couldn't take a Krogan Commander head on, but hoped this would buy her some time. He stumbled back, trying to stop the bleeding with his hands. Tali ran up to him, dodging the first swing and uppercutted him. The Krogan Commander blocked her second punch, throwing her back. She tried to locate her shotgun and ran around the corner when he charged up to her. He ran into the empty stairwell, surprised. He looked around him to find the Quarian who managed to elude him.

"Up here, bosh'tet."

The Krogan Commander looked at the Quarian standing on the thin edge above the door with precise balance, shotgun aimed at his face. Even though he knew he was about to meet his end, the Krogan showed admiration towards her for outsmarting him – a Quarian at that. Maybe they weren't as soft and weak as he thought. Tali's cold glare pierced into him and she pulled the trigger. The lifeless body fell on the ground. She jumped down and helped Liara up. The Commander used the terminal as leverage to pull herself up and looked bewildered around her. She looked at her brother who had a dark red mark on his chin from where the Krogan kneed him.

"Next time... we take Wrex with us too," John coughed. They helped each other up and looked at Tali with deep gratitude for saving them.

"It was nothing," Tali purred, leaning on her shotgun. Nevertheless they still thanked her and walked up to the hologram.

"ExoGeni Corporation reminds all staff that the discharging of weapons while on company property is strictly forbidden," the V.I. stated emotionless. It turned its impassive holographic face to John. "Welcome back, Research Assistant Elizabeth Baynham. What can I do for you?"

"Uh..." John started and turned to his sister who desperately tried to keep herself from chuckling. He raised his brow at her, surprised and turned back to the V.I.. "How do you know I'm... Lizbeth?"

"Your access card identifies you as Elizabeth Baynham. Is there something you require, Dr. Baynham?"

"What information was the last user attempting to access?"

"The previous user was attempting to access details on the study of Subject 37, the Thorian. I was unable to provide the previous user with any relevant data. Aside from lacking proper access, there has been no new data available on Subject 37. All sensors monitoring the observation post at Zhu's Hope have been inactive for several cycles."

"Wait. What does Zhu's Hope have to do with the Thorian?" Garrus asked.

"Species 37 is located within the substructure of the Zhu's Hope outpost," the V.I. answered – something that alarmed them all.

"Goddess! That might explain why the colonists are acting all weird according to Trevelyan and Newt," Liara remarked. She looked at Jane activating a COM channel while John continued inquiring more about the Thorian from the V.I..

"Trevelyan, come in." She didn't hear an answer, only static. The Geth Dropship blocked communications.

"...inhalation of spores, it can infect and control other organisms, including Humans," the V.I. continued to explain. "The Zhu's Hope control group has yielded interesting results. Before sensors went offline, almost eighty five percent of all test subjects were infected."

"Newt and Trevelyan must be fine, then. They wear helmets all the time on missions," Garrus assumed, hoping it was true.

"No matter. We can deal with them if they are infected. But more importantly, ExoGeni knew its people were being infected!" John concluded.

"It was deemed necessary to assess the true potential of Species 37."

"Let's go. We need to drop that field and get back to Zhu's Hope," Tali urged.

They went up the stairs and paid no further heed to the V.I.'s words on ExoGeni's reasons behind it. A soft light came from a room ahead of them. The team slowly ghosted in, looking at a white orb of light being tended to by the Geth. They knelt in front of it, as if praying. The two were quickly taken care off by Tali's hacking abilities. A tranquil feeling filled the room. They looked at the white orb hovering in the center, it made this place look like some kind of religious temple the Geth used. Tali inspected the claw and sighed.

"We need to find another claw. We cannot weaken this one."

They continued their search. The team walked through the hallway ahead and something jammed their radars when they neared the other end. John and Garrus quickly drew their snipers and returned fire at the Geth atop a balcony. Jane and Liara took cover behind the concrete wall and used their biotics to make short work of the Geth ahead. The gunfire died. They moved to the entrance ahead of them when Geth swarmed up to them from behind. They pushed themselves into cover. With the Geth outnumbering them, John and Jane drew them deeper in by climbing up the stairs into a long hallway. Garrus hacked into a terminal that piqued his interest, acquiring encrypted data. They took up defensive positions and waited for the Geth to reveal themselves.

The five minutes of silence felt like an eternity, but it payed off. The Geth spread around the hall, exposing themselves. The Commander sent the signal to everyone. Tali hacked into several Geth. Liara and Jane used their biotics again. And Garrus and John fired at the remaining Geth. They raced down the stairs and to the entrance on the other side where the Geth came from. The team advanced on another stairwell – something they grew tired off. Too many stairs for their taste. Geth ticking echoed through the room ahead. John pushed himself into the wall and peered around the corner, assessing the threat. This claw was more exposed, but he'd need Tali to tell them more about it. He crouched towards a broken pillar, taking cover inside the room. The Geth were oblivious to his presence. He gestured at Tali to come over to his position.

"What about this claw?" He whispered.

"It's certainly more exposed. Let's clear out the Geth and see if we can find a way to weaken it," Tali whispered back.

Jane and Liara also ghosted into the room. Garrus stayed at the entrance, having a clear shot at most Geth in his scope. He nodded once at the Commanders to proceed. They all leaned out of cover simultaneously, each taking shots at the surprised Geth. Several Hoppers fell off the ceiling as Garrus picked them off before they could attack Tali and Liara. He moved up the ramp and fired at a Geth Prime ahead. The others joined his position and gave additional support. The last Geth exploded in a brilliant orange glow.

"Clear!" Garrus shouted.

"Tali, see anything we can use?" Jane asked, looking at the Geth claw. It looked durable – very durable – and it would take a lot of power to weaken it.

Liara looked at a repair ticket hanging on a terminal and started to read through it.

"The damn door to the shuttle bay is fried again. Works fine if the PSI is 30 or lower, and the safety shut-off kicks in if the PSI gets above 34. But if the PSI is in the 31-34 zone the door slams down with enough power to shear through a metal I-beam. Somebody fix this thing before one of my men lose an arm in that thing!"

"Tali, how about this?" Liara said, handing Tali the ticket.

She nodded while reading the ticket and placed it back on the terminal. Tali fiddled with several buttons until everyone heard a loud bang running through the systems. The door slammed up, cutting off the Geth claw. The tower started to rumble as the Geth Dropship almost pulled the tower down with it. The ship crashed on the planet's surface. Radio contact was restored and the barriers deactivated.

"You did it! Good job, Tali," the Commanders said in unison.

"_I repeat, Normandy to shore party. Are you reading? Anyone there? Normandy to shore party. Come on, Commanders, talk to me!_" Joker's troubled voice rang over the COM.

"Joker? What's going on over there?"

"_We're in lockdown here, Commander. Something happened to the colonists. They are banging on the hull, trying to claw their way inside the ship. They're freaking out! I can see Trevelyan outside restraining the civilians, but they all jump on him like crazy._"

"They can't do any real damage. We're on our way back. Just hold your position."

"_Uh... yeah. Okay. Well, we'll just wait right here for you._"

They didn't waste any time and hurried back to the entrance of the building. A frightened Lizbeth walked out of cover near the entrance, relieved to see the Commanders. She could tell they found out she had been lying to them – not telling them all she knew about the Thorian. John and Jane waited for Lizbeth to explain herself.

"I– I was afraid. I wanted to stop the test, but they threatened me, told me I'd be next. When the Geth attacked, I stayed behind to send a message to Colonial Affairs. I tried to tell them where to find the Thorian, but the power cut before I could send the message. I... I never meant for this to happen," Lizbeth explained, head lowered.

"We believe you. We have to get back to Zhu's Hope and stop the Thorian."

"I'll come with you. Maybe I can undo the mess I made."

They raced back to the Mako where Kaidan greeted them, glad they made it out alive. The Mako increased its speed down the bridge to Zhu's Hope and prayed they weren't too late.


	13. Mind Games

**Mind Games  
**

* * *

"Well, this Mako is toast."

John manually opened the door of the smoldering Mako. Fire and Geth plasma melted through the hull and entered the interior of the vehicle. Lizbeth stormed towards the ramp leading to the underground building before anyone could stop her. They ran after her, following the sound of Juliana screaming. The Commander looked around the corner to get a better look at the situation. Jeong frantically walked around. The first thing John noticed was the gun in the man's hand. He gestured at Garrus to ready his sniper.

"You can't do this, Jeong!" Juliana said.

"Everyone shut up! Let me think!" Jeong yelled. After walking around mumbling and shaking his head, he turned towards the ExoGeni guards. "Get her out of here!"

"Get away from her, you son of a bitch!" Lizbeth cried out in anger, storming into the building.

"Damn it! Come out where I can see you! All of you!" Jeong demanded. He could see the Commander's team walk out of cover and into the room, irritated. "Hah, Shepard. Damn it! I knew it was too much to hope the Geth would kill you two. I found some interesting facts about you two in the ExoGeni database. You're heroi–"

John couldn't resist his urge any longer. Blood gushed out of Jeong's head before he could finish his snide sentence and dropped on the ground. The Commander's team readied their weapons and biotics when ExoGeni guards wanted to act. Jane looked at her brother's impassive face as he stared at Jeong's body.

"How uncivilized," John muttered.

"As if we don't have enough problems. Now we are just shooting each other in the back. What did Jeong want?"

"He was after the one unique thing Feros has: the Thorian," Liara answered.

"The what?" Juliana asked.

"It's a telepathic life-form living under Zhu's Hope. It's taking control of the colonists there. ExoGeni knew all along," Lizbeth explained.

"It's telepathic now? We should get back to Zhu's Hope. I don't think Trevelyan and Newt are immune against... uhm, magic," Williams urged.

"At least we don't have to worry about mindless colonists walking around. They trapped them inside the building. If they are affected, it's two against nine," John concluded.

Garrus walked back up to the team after handing the encrypted data he found to a man. They walked up the ramp to the destroyed Mako. Jane placed her hands on her hips and looked at the bridge ahead. The clouds were just as thick as before, and a strong wind had joined in. The metal door opened and two figures ran in. The team looked surprised at Newt and Trevelyan.

"What are you two doing here?" Jane asked.

"Well, I couldn't reach you for a long time. So I thought we'd check out what happened."

"But what about Zhu's Hope?"

"Zhu's Hope's fine. Those weird creature tried to attack us, but we neutralized them all. The colonists are still restraint and locked inside the building," Trevelyan answered.

"We need to get back at Zhu's Hope. How's the wind?"

"You're in luck. The wind can carry us down if we're careful."

The team gathered by the door, looking at the metal bending at the strong wind. They couldn't just wait and sit around until the wind settled. John threw a rock ahead. It got caught by the wind that carried it down the bridge into the clouds – and the clouds were the biggest concern. They wouldn't be able to see where the wind would carry them without a clear line of sight. Wrex stepped forward and chuckled.

"This will be fun," he remarked.

"Up for a race, Wrex?" Garrus asked.

"Use your magnetic boots to stick to the bridge if something happens," Jane ordered. "Let's go."

Just as they stepped out, the wind scattered them around the bridge. Everyone activated their magnetic boots and looked around them for the others. Trevelyan managed to grab hold of Liara before she hit the rubble, keeping her safe. They could see something big move towards them from up the bridge. Three of figures rolled through the clouds to their left downward. Liara peered ahead at the object. Trevelyan zoomed in with his visor.

"Goddess, what's that?" she asked.

"Just a Geth Colossus coming our way..." Trevelyan looked at the Colossus plummeting downward. "Hold on, we need to get away from here."

She wrapped her arms around him and deactivated her magnetic boots. Trevelyan waited a little longer for another figure rolling ahead of the Geth Colossus to get closer. He barely managed to grab Tali's arm as he deactivated his magnetic boots, using his thrusters to move to the left. The Geth Colossus crashed into the wall. The wind came around. He lost control with the strong wind pushing him towards the ground and they rolled down.

"More incoming!" A voice yelled.

Something about those words alarmed Liara. She opened her eyes to the bridge flashing before her. She looked over Trevelyan to the rest rolling towards the gate ahead. It wouldn't be able to react fast enough to their increased speed.

"_Activate magnetic boots._" The Commander said over the COM.

Everyone activated it. Their bodies moved towards the ground, their boots sticking to the surface. While it slowed them down a little, they still rolled down to the gate. Their speed gradually slowed and all of them raced over the ground towards the opening gate. They barely managed to roll under the small opening into the parking space. Yellow lights flickered on everyone's biomonitor.

"...If we're careful," John quoted Trevelyan, laughing.

Everyone struggled up to their feet. The Commanders checked everyone for injuries – mostly just bruises – and entered the elevator. Inside most of them used their supply of medi-gel to dull the pain. Zhu's Hope was indeed quiet, dead creatures littering the area. They advanced to the controls to make a way to the Thorian. As they walked around the corner, they saw someone scuffling ahead of them. Fai Dan walked out of cover with a pistol in his hand and the Commanders readied theirs.

"I tried to fight it, but it gets in your head. You cannot imagine the pain. I was supposed to be a leader. These people trusted me," Fai Dan managed to say under the Thorian's control.

He aimed his pistol at the Commanders and the rest of the team backed John and Jane up. There was a hesitating gleam in Fai Dan's eyes, his arm shaking uncontrollably.

"It wants me to stop you... but I... I won't. I won't!"

Newt's eyes widened in horror when the man self-terminated, a chill strike running through her spine. Trevelyan caught the Phalanx before it slipped out of her hand. Tali tapped authorization codes into the control panel that moved one of the building sections out of the way.

"You okay?" Trevelyan asked.

"Yeah..." Newt replied slowly. She grabbed the Phalanx out of his palm and nodded. "I am. I'll reflect on what happened back on the Normandy during meditation."

The group walked to the ominous entrance. Jenkins and Alenko stayed back to keep anyone else from entering. They walked down, a strange feeling surrounding them followed by screeching on the walls. Something warned them not to enter. The Commanders took point and progressed down the stairs. The strange feeling grew stronger with each step downward. They reached the hallway and entered a room.

"Okay, we just have to find this thing and put a couple rounds into..." Williams stopped talking as she looked upon a large alien creature.

"Keelah, what is it?" Tali asked.

Trevelyan turned to Jane and tilted his head to the left. "I told you it's a vegetable. An ancient vegetable at that."

"That does not look like any plant I've ever seen. This may be... problematic," John said, confused.

They approached the strange creature. It raised its tentacles, showing what looked like a toothless mouth and slime poured out of it. The ground around them trembled at its roars. The slime stopped leaking out of its mouth and a figure dropped out of it. An Asari – a green Asari – rose from her knees and looked at the team. Everyone present had to process what they just witnessed. Is it a real person? A clone? An illusion?

"Invaders! Your every step is a transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to dig or decompose," the green Asari spoke. "I speak for the Old Growth, as I did for Saren. You are within and before the Thorian. It commands that you be in awe!"

"You gave something to Saren. Something we need."

"Saren sought knowledge of those who are gone. The Old Growth listened to flesh for the first time in the Long Cycle. Trades were made." The Asari shifted her emotionless gaze to John. "Then cold ones began killing the flesh that would tend the next cycle. Flesh fairly given! The Old Growth sees the air you push as lies! It will listen no more!"

"We won't let you keep your thralls. Release them. Now!" Newt demanded. The Asari's cold glare pierced through Newt who unconsciously stepped back when she felt the Thorian's power. Trevelyan stepped in front of Newt. The Asari's eyes widened at him, the Thorian sensing a familiar presence.

"No more will the Thorian listen to those who scurry. Your lives are short, but have gone on too long." The Asari thrall brought her glare back to the Commanders.

She raised her shotgun and attacked the team. One of the tentacles lashed out to Trevelyan's neck, holding him in position. The Asari thrall ignored Trevelyan dropping to his knees next to her and focused on the Commanders taking cover.

"Trevelyan, we'll try to take it down." John looked at Newt. "Stay with him, help him break free of its grip."

Trevelyan reached for his sidearm with his free arm. Before he could aim at the Thorian, another tentacle wrapped his wrist around until the pistol dropped out of his hand. Before he could put up any more resistance, Trevelyan felt his body go limp under the Thorian's power and enter his mind. He used his remaining energy to wave at Newt to stay out of its reach.

_Recombinant organic. _

_I can see you are the same as the one before. Perhaps even stronger. You know of who I speak; one who took all that you held dear. One who sought knowledge that I will bestow upon you. But I carry a warning. Young one, I shall talk and you will heed my words._

The Commander could see Newt keep her distance while several tentacles kept Trevelyan locked on the ground. He pulled the trigger and blew up the first Thorian node. It led out a painful roar that spread throughout its body over to Trevelyan who clenched his hands into fists.

"That got its attention. Let's go find the others," Jane said.

Newt looked at the Thorian rising up. It spawned another Asari thrall that ignored her and Trevelyan on the lower level. She quickly send a warning to the Commanders who fought through Thorian Creepers on an upper level. Wrex tore through the first wave of creepers and used his biotics to knock the Asari thrall over the edge. They progressed through the room and more creepers swarmed ithrough the door in the far left corner. The team walked around the corner and destroyed another Thorian node. It had the same effect, the same pained roar echoing through the area. More creepers tried to halt the Commanders. Before any could act, another Asari thrall managed to use biotics to knock everyone to the ground. Tali barely managed to pull the trigger of her shotgun before the thrall could, killing it.

"Newt, how's Trevelyan doing?" Jane asked over the channel.

"_I don't know. His body looks... relaxed despite the tentacles holding him. I think that Thorian thing is communicating with him,_" Newt answered concerned over the COM. "_He did gesture at me to stay back. And I did. But the Thorian isn't attacking me either._"

"Don't take any chances, Newt. Keep your distance and observe the... exchange."

The team advanced through the room. It was too quiet. More creepers sat curled up on the ground just before the next Thorian node. More creepers stormed up to them. Garrus landed a precise shot that tore through three creepers, killing all of them. John proceeded to throw a grenade, vaporizing the remaining few. They focused back at taking down the Thorian node, but as it weakened, other creepers awoke. They weren't a threat to the team who took them down before they could even stand up. A third one went down, but the Thorian was still standing. The Commanders started to wonder if they could ever take it down. After all, it managed to survive for tens of thousands of years.

Wrex took point into a small room where rubble covered the stairs. There was another node. They destroyed it and took cover when more Thorian Creepers were alarmed by the destroyed node. The Thorian let out an even more pained roar. They must've made it hurt. Another Asari thrall led some creepers to the Commanders. Before they could advance on the team, Garrus and Tali placed their grenades by the corner. It exploded with a brilliant green light. Every red dot on their radars disappeared. To their right was another exposed weak-point and destroyed it. The Thorian's roar sounded more painful than the last one.

"We've got it on the ropes now, Commanders. It has to drop soon!" Ashley concluded with absolute certainty.

They dropped down the one-way jump. The small hallway made it hard for them to take cover if something were to get the jump on them. They made it to another staircase. The Thorian started to play it more aggressively, sensing the Commanders were more formidable than it thought. Thorian Creepers arose from all sides with Asari thralls supporting them. Liara managed to create a biotic barrier to soak up all incoming shotgun blasts while Tali and Wrex took care of the creepers behind them. The thralls made a strong push for it, almost breaking through the barrier but Jane tuned her biotics with those of Liara to bolster its strength. John and Garrus fired with their snipers at the Asari, stripping the shields away for the others to take them down. After a long struggle, the gunfire died.

They could only see one final weak-spot in the distance. Some Thorian Creepers sat on the ground, but Wrex set his boot on each of them. Two more Asari thralls showed up. One of them managed to knock John off-balance and into Liara. Garrus headbutted one backwards. The stunned Asari stumbled back, oblivious to the edge, and fell off. More creepers appeared when the node started to weaken. Back at the Thorian itself, Trevelyan was still pinned in one position with Newt observing them. She couldn't do anything. When she did, one of the tentacles simply tightened around him, dangerously close to creating blunt force trauma. She could, however, tell the tentacles had trouble staying connected to Trevelyan.

…_The sky shall rain fire, and the seas will become as blood. All life shall fall before the Reapers. And all creation shall tremble before the burning standards of their cruelty. The Conduit stands ready. It seems my time has come to an end. The species you travel with have become more powerful than I have ever seen before. Their determination is admirable, and must be uphold. And reme–_

Trevelyan felt the connection with the Thorian's mind fade. He felt his body being pulled down with the Thorian. Newt managed to grab hold of his arm, keeping him from falling over the edge. The long conversation with the Thorian drained his energy. He scuffled with Newt up to the Commander's location. Jane nodded at Newt and looked concerned at Trevelyan who looked unfocused to her; moving his head every few seconds as if thinking or processing something.

A cracking sound rang behind them. They turned to a cocoon on the wall, weapons raised. It started to crack and a woman fell out of it. She landed on her knees, struggling to get up and looked bewildered around her. She looked like the Asari thrall the Thorian used, only this Asari had a blue, purple-ish skin.

"I'm free. I'm free. I– I suppose I should thank you for releasing me," the mysterious Asari thanked.

"Is everything all right? Are you hurt?" John asked.

"I am fine. Or I will be, in time," she answered. "My name is Shiala. I serve– I served Matriarch Benezia. When she allied herself with Saren, so did I."

Shiala realized she just caused suspicion when the Commanders took a step back after what she said.

"Benezia foresaw the influence Saren would have. She joined him to guide him down a gentler path. But Saren is compelling. Benezia lost her way," Shiala continued to explain.

"I knew my mother wouldn't have joined Saren's plan. She wanted to help him," Liara concluded, a relieved smile on her face. She looked at the rest of the team. "I still know that Benezia has lost her way. I will help you stop her, Commanders."

"Are you saying Saren can control minds?" Wrex asked. It was a first to hear that a Turian could control minds – and he has seen a lot.

"Benezia underestimated Saren. As I did. We came to believe in his cause and goals. The strength of his influence is troubling."

"She tried to help Saren. But in the end, her plan backfired," explained Garrus.

"Asari Matriarchs are among the most intelligent and powerful beings in the Galaxy. How could one fall under Saren's control?" Jane asked.

"Saren has a vessel. An enormous ship warship unlike anything I've ever seen. He calls it Sovereign. It can dominate the minds of his followers. They become indoctrinated to Saren's will. The process is subtle. It can take days, weeks. But in the end, it is absolute.," Shiala continued. "I was a willing slave when Saren brought me to this world. He needed my biotics to communicate with the Thorian, to learn its secrets. Saren offered me in trade. I was sacrificed to ensure an alliance between Saren and the Thorian."

"Saren's pretty quick to betray his own people."

"He was quick to betray the Thorian, too. After he had what he wanted, he ordered the Geth to destroy all evidence of its existence. Saren knows you are searching for the Conduit. He knows you are following in his steps. He attacked the Thorian so you two could not gain the Cipher."

"What's the Cipher? And why did Saren need it?" Tali purred.

"The Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime gave you visions. But the visions are unclear, confusing. They were meant for a Prothean mind. To truly comprehend them, you must think like a Prothean. You must understand their culture, their history, their very existence," Shiala answered. "The Thorian was here long before the Protheans built this city. It watched and studied them. When they died, it consumed them. They became a part of it."

"So the Thorian taught Saren to think like a Prothean? How?" The Commanders asked in unison.

"The Cipher is the very essence of being a Prothean. It cannot be described or explained. It would be like describing a color to a creature without eyes. To understand, you must have access to endemic ancestral memory. A viewpoint spanning thousands of Prothean years," Shiala explained, trying to simplify it as best she could. "I sensed this ancestral memory – the Cipher – when I melded with the Thorian. Our identities merged, our minds intertwined. Such knowledge cannot be taught; it simply exists."

"Well... poop. There goes this mission," Wrex growled.

"There is a way. I can transfer the knowledge from my mind into yours, as I did with Saren."

"Wait. Is it even safe to mind-meld with two other people at once?" Ashley asked.

"I will give them the knowledge one by one. I shall not risk melding with both of them at once," Shiala answered. She turned to John who volunteered to go first.

"Try to relax, Commander. Slow, deep breaths. Let go of your physical shell. Reach out to grasp the threads that bind us, one to another. Every action sends ripples across the Galaxy. Every idea must touch another mind to live. Each emotion must mark another's spirit." Shiala walked up to John who started to have some doubts about this. "We are all connected. Every living being united in a single, glorious existence. Open yourself to the universe, Commander. Embrace eternity!"

Shiala's eyes blackened, melding with John's mind. The rest looked at them from a small, but safe distance. The Commander opened his eyes and looked at Shiala who stepped back. Jane stepped forward and allowed Shiala to meld with her as well. She could see the same vision as before; Protheans being turned into something horrible, machinery replacing organs and life, and screams. A star system appeared and she could see a planet appear. In the blackness of the planet, Sovereign rose up. Jane also reopened her eyes at Shiala. She looked exhausted from joining with two people within such a short time period.

"I have given you two the Cipher, just as it was given to Saren. The ancestral memories of the Protheans are part of you now."

"Are you all right, Commanders? You two look rather pale," Liara asked worried.

"I saw... something. It still didn't make any sense."

"You have been given a great gift: the experience of an entire people. It will take time for your minds to process this information."

"You two look like a little queasy. We should get you back to the ship," Ashley suggested.

"I am sorry if you have suffered, but there was no other way. You two needed the Cipher. In time, it will help you understand the vision from the beacon."

"Now that you're free of the Thorian, what are you planning to do next?" Jane asked.

"If you allow it, I would like to stay here with the colonists. They have suffered greatly, and I played a role in their suffering. I would like to make amends," Shiala answered.

"The colonists will need all the help they can get. They'll be happy to have you on their side."

"Thank you, Commander. May fortune smile up you."

The Commanders made one last run around Zhu's Hope, saying their goodbyes and made sure everything was all right. The returned to the _SSV Normandy_ and gathered in the COM Room.

"Commanders? You two look... pale. Are you suffering any ill effects from the Cipher?" Liara asked, a concerned tint in her voice.

"The Cipher shook me up a bit," Jane answered.

"I feel... great," John said, placing his ninth empty cup of coffee next to him.

"I might be able to help you. I am an expert on the Protheans. If I join my consciousness to yours maybe we can make some sense of it."

"Uh..." John looked at his sister who held a bag of ice on her face.

"No thanks. You go."

"Alright. Do it. Hurry. We don't have much time."

They stood in the center of the COM Room. She looked deep into his eyes.

"Relax, Commander. Embrace eternity!"

Their visions blackened for a moment. They could see the Prothean Vision that played in their minds like a film. They both opened their eyes again, staring at each other.

"That was incredible! All this time. All my research. Yet I never dreamed... I'm sorry. The images were so vivid. I never imagined the experience would be so... intense," Liara breathed. "You are remarkable strong-willed, Commander. What you've been through, what you've seen, would destroy a lesser mind."

"Come on. Get to the point. What did you see?" Ashley snarked.

"The beacon on Eden Prime must have been badly damaged. Large parts of the vision are missing. The data transferred into the Commander's minds are incomplete," she answered.

"You sure you didn't come across any kind of clue or hint? Something we might have missed?"

"Everything I saw you already know. You were right about the Reapers. The Protheans were destroyed by a race of sentient machines. I think it's obvious there's a connection between the Reapers, the Prothean extinction, and the Conduit. But I didn't see anything that would help us find it."

"What's our next move?"

"I was able to interpret the data relayed through your vision. What was there, at least. But something was missing. Saren must have the missing information. Maybe he found another beacon. If we can find the missing data from your vision I can– whoa!" Liara brought her hand to her face. "I'm sorry. The joining is... exhausting. I should go to to the Medical Bay and lie down for a moment."

"Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you."

"That won't be necessary. I just need some rest. Somewhere quiet."

"Trevelyan, I want you to go to the Medical Bay, too," Jane ordered.

"Why? I feel fine," Trevelyan replied.

"That may be so, but I still want Dr. Chakwas to check you," she said.

"I am fine," he stated.

"I'll carry you there myself if you won't go willingly," the Commander threatened.

"Really?" Asked Trevelyan, surprised.

"We're done here. Dismissed," John cut in.

"_I've sent off the Feros report, Commanders. You want me to patch you through to the Council?_" Joker asked, his voice ringing over the COM.

"Path them through, Joker."

"Commanders. ExoGeni should have told us about the Thorian. It would have made your job much easier," Councilor Tevos excused.

"You might have been able to capture it for study instead of destroying it," Councilor Valern added.

"The Thorian liked to enslave minds. Anyone who studied it would've ended up as one of its thralls," Jane explained.

"Perhaps it is for the best, then. At least the colony was saved."

"Of course it was saved. Shepard would go to any lengths to help a Human colony," Councilor Sparatus snapped.

"Being Human had nothing to do with it. They were in trouble," John growled.

"Admirable. But sometimes Spectres have to make sacrifices. I hope you're willing to do that when the time comes."

"Goodbye, Commanders. We'll be waiting for your next report."


	14. Feast of Starlight

**Feast of Starlight  
**

* * *

The Commander rubbed his forehead as he walked down to the Mess Hall. He could see Dr. Chakwas tending to Liara in the Medical Bay, running a full-diagnostics scan. For a moment he thought about mind melding with her back in the COM Room. Sure, he also melded with Shiala, but that was different. With Liara it was unique. Intense. He caught the glimpse of Trevelyan in the Med Bay, too. It surprised him. He allowed Dr. Chakwas to run some medical scans on him as well. Trevelyan did still have his armor on, though. In fact, John couldn't recall ever seeing the Bounty Hunter without it. He jerked his head towards some scuffling sounds behind him. His sister stood behind him and Jane had her eyes locked on Liara and Trevelyan in the Medical Bay. Her emerald eyes carried a surprised gleam.

"Surprised to see Trevelyan in the Med Bay?" John asked, walking with her into the Mess Hall.

"Yeah. I'm relieved, though. I wouldn't have been able to actually _"drag" _him into the Med Bay if he had called my bluff."

John knew there was more to it than that. He sat down in an unoccupied chair, folded his hands together on the table, and looked at his sister getting a cup of coffee. In the background he could see Liara talk to Trevelyan in the Medical Bay. John was no lipreader, but the conversation had to be about something pleasant as Liara laughed and smiled. His shifted his eyes back to Jane who stared at the black substance filling the red cup. The last drop caused the coffee to ripple three times.

"I have to ask, though," John started and proceeded slowly. "How come you always pick Newt and Trevelyan for your team? Are you... interested in him?"

"I'm not!" Jane shot back, cheeks beet red. When her brother laughed at her response, she almost had the urge to throw her coffee at him. "I've seen you look at Liara with one of those sparks in your eyes. What's up with that?"

"I like her," John replied, shrugging as he calmly said that. "She's smart, powerful and attractive. But back to your little..."

"No. Drop it." She cut in before he could finish.

"Mind if we join, Commanders?"

Jane stared with widened eyes at her coffee cup, unmoving. She brought her emerald eyes away from the coffee and to Trevelyan and Liara standing behind her. John gestured at them to join with a playful grin written on his face. Trevelyan sat down a few seats away from both Commanders, reached for a tattered book, and started reading. Liara sat down next to John. Trevelyan noticed the Commander held her coffee cup with a knuckle-white tight grip. Her biosigns indicated she had an elevated heartbeat and increased blood pressure. Not even in the heat of combat did her heart ever race like that.

"Are you all right, Commander?" Trevelyan asked, setting his book aside.

"You heard?"

"Heard what?"

She didn't believe him. Trevelyan shrugged at the silence the Commander answered with and brought his book back up, not affected by it. He strongly believed that people shouldn't be forced to tell everything to another person. That was something Goliath taught him. While he didn't agree with all their teachings, this was an exception for him. Several blips appeared on his radar. The footsteps rang through the silent Mess Hall. Other team members joined the Commanders by the table. Wrex barely managed to sit between Garrus and Tali. Newt gently poked Trevelyan in his side, drawing his attention.

"What is it, Newt?" He asked.

"Are you okay? You're awfully quiet," Newt remarked softly with a tint of concern brimming in her voice.

"I'm always quiet, Newt. Just processing what the Thorian did to me. I think it scrambled my brain around like an egg," said Trevelyan. She replied with a soft chuckle and a nod. They both looked back at the rest sitting by the table.

"Commander, remember I told you about Dr. Saleon?" Garrus asked, twitching his mandibles.

"Crazy Salarian doctor who cloned organs inside his subjects, right? Yeah. I remember," John replied. He brought his full attention to Garrus. If there was new information on this Dr. Saleon, he'd love to hear it. What Saleon did according to Garrus' story was sickening. "What about him?"

"I found him. He goes by the name of "Dr. Heart" now. His idea of a joke, I guess," Garrus explained.

"Send the coordinates to Joker. We'll check it out after Noveria," John said.

A yellow light winked in the _SSV Normandy_, followed by some crackling static over the COM speakers.

"_ETA to Alliance coordinates: Five minutes._" The Normandy V.I. announced.

They strolled to the window to look at the planet ahead. It was green with mountains in the distance and packs of animals crossing the valleys. John's keen eye spotted something to the far left on the other side of a mountain: a silver, glowing orb.

"Did anyone else see that glowing orb?" The Commander asked.

"I saw something," Trevelyan replied with a nod, confirming the presence of an anomaly.

"Skipper, what is this Alliance mission?" Ashley asked.

"The Alliance had a probe gathering data on the Geth. They lost contact with it, and the module crashed on Eletania. We are here to retrieve it before the Geth do," John explained. He turned to the rest of the team present. "Gear up and meet us in the Cargo Hold in ten minutes."

Williams and Alenko snapped a crisp salute to the Commanders before leaving. The others snapped into action and hurried to their lockers. They geared up in less than five minutes and gathered in the Cargo Hold. The _SSV Normandy_ landed on Eletania, creating a circle of dust beneath the ship. The Mako spurted out. John remembered where he saw the anomaly and drove around the hill. They arrived, left the Mako, and secured the perimeter. They shouldered or holstered their weapons and approached the silver ball. A tranquil silence settled in the area. There was no threatening feeling coming from it. John stepped forward, despite Jane trying to stop him. Examining the strange Prothean artifact revealed a small, irregular slot on the underside of the surface. Remembering the strange trinket John received from the Asari Consort on the Citadel, he pulled it out and placed it in the slot. The ball exploded in a brilliant flash of white light, momentarily blinding and disorienting everyone.

Slowly their senses returned as they woke from a deep sleep. They were together in the forest, though they were not far from the caves they shared with the others in their tribe. There was a pain and a small lump in the back of their skull, as if a chip of flint had been forced under the surface of the skin.

Leaning on their bone-tipped spears for support, they rose to their feet. A sound drew their attention upwards, where a strange creature hovered high above them. It was unlike the birds they hunt by the lake's edge – it had no head and no wings yet somehow it flew. It was a beast of shining silver; hanging motionless in the sky like a cloud. They sensed it was watching them, studying them.

Raising a hairy fist, they shook their spears at it in anger and the creature rose up quickly until it disappeared from view. With a satisfied grunt they made their way back to their caves and the rest of the tribe.

They fell into the familiar patterns of life – the hunt for food, the struggle to claim and keep a mate, the battles against the other tribes that would claim your territory. Days rolled into nights and back into days. Each time they rose from sleep there was the sensation that they were not alone; that some "other" was with them sharing all they saw, heard and felt. At these times their hands went to the strange lump at the back of their skulls and they remembered the silver creature from the sky.

The air grew colder, winter fell. They had to range farther for food, clutching the furs tight against them to ward off the chill. It was on one of these long hunts that the strange bird returned. They heard it before they saw it, its call a deafening roar as it descended from above, swooping down on them. A single great eye opened on the underbelly, a glowing red orb. They tried to run, but a finger of red light extended from the eye and engulfed them, and all turned black again.

The team woke up an instant later to find themselves on Eletania lying on their backs, the Prothean artifact looming above them undamaged and everyone crawled up to their feet. They helped the Commanders to their feet, puzzled.

"There was a flash of light and we just sort of toppled over," Ashley explained.

"Are you okay, Shepard?" Liara asked. They didn't answer right away, wondering at the implications of what they – and the team – have seen: the memories of Cro-Magnon hunters, captured by an implanted Prothean data recorder. How long did they study the primitive Humans, observing them and analyzing the results at their base on Mars? And what, if anything, did they learn from us?

"I'm fine," John finally replied, realizing that this was a mystery they would probably never solve. "Forget about it."

Everyone's biomonitor indicated increased brain activity after what just transpired. They couldn't even grasp how long they've been lying in the grass, but based on the sky, hours passed. The night had fallen, a feast of starlight in the sky. They settled back in the Mako and drove to the Alliance coordinates of the probe, and most importantly, hoped the Geth hadn't recovered the data module. In the darkness of the night the Makos's lights burned bright. They arrived at the crash site, finding it empty. Further investigation of the crashed probe led them to the conclusion that an animal took off with it. Perhaps they still had a chance of finding it before the Geth do.

"A local simian lifeform took off with it?" Tali purred.

"Oh, this will be fun." Garrus shouldered his sniper with an excited spark in his eyes. "Night hunting!"

They sat back in the Mako, having nowhere to go. Jane brought up the map of the local area. A few strands of data formed together, took the shape of a map, and flickered with several points of interest. An abandoned facility piqued their attention. John dropped a NAV marker and drove toward it. The vehicle rocked and bumped into the mountain side. John barely managed to keep the Mako from tumbling down. The Mako's lighting reflected off the metal of the facility's entrance.

"Holy...!" John cried out as he tried to steer away at a creature ahead of him. The Pyjak slammed helplessly into the windshield.

"That was a little extreme. Wasn't it?" Tali hissed.

"I didn't see him!" John barked.

"Good shot," Wrex added. His words earned him a cold glare from Tali and Liara.

The Commander parked the Mako next to the entrance, carefully maneuvering around the other animals. They didn't seem to care about their dead companion. The Pyjaks continued strolling around the facility. The team spread around the area, checking the animals if they carried the data module. Nothing.

"Goddess! What was that for?" Liara cried out when one of the animals flung something at her face.

"Commander, no offense, but what makes you so sure that the data module is here?" Kaidan and Jenkins asked in unison.

"It's a gut feeling," John replied.

"Well, we are pissing them off. One of them threw its feces at Dr. T'Soni," Tali added.

"Is that what this is?" Liara asked, furiously wiping it off her face with a disgusted expression.

They entered the underground complex. The Commanders started to have some doubts. Did they Geth take it? Some of them made some unpleasant sounds as they looked at over two dozen Pyjaks walking around. There was no time to lose. They spread around, each searching through the groups of animals. The center of the room was almost immediately cleared and the team moved to the back of the complex. Wrex lifted one of the creatures up. It looked at Wrex's bulky armor, eyes widened, and held tightly on to a small shimmering item. Wrex cupped his free hand under it, and the Pyjak let go off the data module.

"Found it," he notified, dropping the animal back on the ground as it barely managed to avoid Geth plasma fire.

The team took up defensive positions as the Geth did the same. They expected the animals to flee. Instead, they used _anything_ they could find as a weapon to throw at both sides. Even their feces. John risked a peek over his cover. The Geth had, surprisingly, been stunned by the Pyjak's ability to fight back. He made a _go_ signal with his hand at the rest of the team, and moved in. Only, they didn't expect for the Pyjak's to also attack them again. Trevelyan brushed the incoming hits off like nothing, snatched the twisted metal out of the air, and threw it directly at a Geth Shock Trooper. Williams and Jenkins tore through four Geth before they could fire at the advancing team. They hurried to the exit, taking down all the Geth in their path. The last red circle on their radars disappeared. Outside Liara looked up at the sky when drops of water fell on her face.

"Thank the Goddess. Rain!"

Everyone made use of the cold rain clattering on their armor, cleaning it from all the junk the Pyjaks threw at them as best they could. They helped each other clean their armor from it at places they couldn't reach themselves. Trevelyan made a cirlce with his armored finger at Newt. She turned around, allowing him to remove any parts left. He tapped her on her shoulder, giving Newt a thumbs up. Wrex did it the most creative way, tearing a few strong branches and leaves from a tree, using it wipe everything off Tali and Liara. They expected him to be a little bit more gentle. He dropped the branches with a playful laugh.

"Wow..." Alenko stared at the Commander letting her hair loose in the rain, cleaning it.

"You big baby, stop drooling," Wrex said, roughly pushing Kaidan by his shoulder. "Walk up to her and show those battle scars. The ladies love that."

"Probably just female Krogan," Garrus added.

Kaidan agreed with Garrus' statement – and he didn't even have scars on his body – just scars he got from BAaT. Jane flung her hair behind her back, the fiery red color glimmering in the starlight. The last rain drop fell into a puddle of water. They were _mostly_ clean and entered the Mako again. This time Jane settled behind the controls and drove down the mountain to the _SSV Normandy_ in the valley. She was the better driver. The Mako brought some water with them into the Cargo Hold. Alliance personnel came into action and prepared to clean the Cargo Hold. The ramp closed and Joker entered the new coordinates: Noveria.

"Everyone, clean yourself and get some rest."

Trevelyan and Newt returned to Deck Twelve. Her armor was clean to the naked eye, but he still isolated it and entered several procedures in the terminal, starting a decontamination procedure. He looked over his shoulder at Newt who had fallen asleep. Trevelyan took off his own armor, several warning signs flickering on his visor, also decontaminating it. He leaned back in his seat, trying to relax. He sat there for an hour, waiting for the armor to finish several different decontamination procedures. He felt exposed, and placed his helmet back on. It sealed around his neck, venting out unwanted particles, leaving behind clean air – something he grew so accustomed to that normal air tasted unnatural.

"Can't sleep?" Newt asked, sitting down next to him.

"I rarely sleep," he answered He directed his full attention to her. "Why are you up? You should get some rest."

"I want to redo that flight simulation."

"Newt..."

"I think I know how to pass it," she added. Trevelyan's scan on her biosigns couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary, but that didn't sooth his nerves.

"No. Do it after Noveria. You really need to get some rest."

"All right," Newt said. She laid down in her bed again, and rolled over her side to look at Trevelyan. "You said this training would be different, right? What did your other students ask from you?"

"You can teach me to kill Spectres, Trevelyan. You have done it often enough," he quoted.

"Goliath taught you to kill Spectres?" Newt asked, piqued what reasoning there could be behind that. "That's... insane. Why would they teach you to kill Spectres?"

"That is a long history lesson, Newt." Trevelyan grabbed the tattered book from the desk. "I'll tell you someday after all this is over. For now, get some sleep."

"Okay."

"...You know you can talk to me, right?" Newt spontaneously added. It surprised him to hear that, but hid it.

"Thanks, Newt. Go get some rest now."


	15. Noveria

**Noveria**

* * *

The _SSV Normandy_ drifted towards the icy planet. Joker sent the standard procedures to Noveria's control, requesting a vector and berth. They replied with a red warning blip on the holographic dash. The Commanders looked uncomfortable at each other, then back to Joker.

"Normandy, your arrival was not scheduled. Our defense grid is armed and tracking you. State your business." Noveria Approach Control stated.

"Citadel business. We've got Council Spectres aboard," Joker answered. There was some mumbling in the background.

"Landing access granted, Normandy. Be advised: we will be confirming identification on arrival. If confirmation cannot be established, your vessel will be impounded."

"What a fun bunch. I think I'll take my next leave here," Joker joked after closing the channel.

The Commanders both replied with a smile and headed toward the airlock. The team gathered by the airlock, awaiting orders. John and Jane walked ahead with Garrus and Liara following them. By the entrance three guards greeted them. A cold feeling turned the guards stomachs upside down when they realized the Commander's team was far better equipped – good enough to take down several battalions if needed.

"That's close enough," one of the guards said.

"We are on important business," John replied, keeping a close eye on Trevelyan sneaking up to the guards from behind. He got into position, dimmed his visor's lighting, and nodded at the Commanders.

"This is an unscheduled arrival. I need your credentials."

"All you need to know is that we have more credentials than you."

"They plan to be trouble, ma'am," another guard said, reloading her gun.

"I can't let you enter the Port are without confirmation of your identity," the first guard explained. "Sergeant Stirling, secure their weapons."

The Commanders snapped into action, brought their sidearms to bear, and aimed their pistols at the guards. Liara readied her biotics and Garrus swung his sniper from his back. The guards also aimed their weapons at the Commanders, slightly tense. The first guard noticed the Commander nodded at someone behind her. She didn't flinch, but knew they were surrounded that very instant.

"You're outnumbered," Trevelyan added, aiming two pistols at the remaining guards. They knew of him by reputation, but raised their weapons with trembling hands nonetheless.

"Nobody takes our weapons," John stated flatly.

"Charge and lock!" The first guard calmly placed her hands behind her, still confident they could take the Commanders down if needed. "We are authorized to use lethal force. You have to the count of three to surrender your weapons."

"One..." The guard looked nervously at more members of the Commander's team running up to them. Cold sweat drops started to run down her face. "Two..."

"Thr–"

"_Captain Matsuo! Stand down._" A female voice rang over the COM speakers.

Captain Matsuo nodded at the other guards to lower their weapons. Jane looked over her shoulder at the others, nodding at them as well. Both sides lowered their weapons. Trevelyan marched past Captain Matsuo, surprising her and joined the Commander's side. She threatened him to leave after an _incident_, but if he was here with Spectres, she couldn't deny him entry.

"_We confirmed their identities. Spectres are authorized to carry weapons here, Captain._" The voice continued.

"You may proceed, Spectres. I hope the rest of your visit will be less confrontational. Parasini-san will meet you upstairs."

"Behave yourselves," Sergeant Stirling warned, a threatening tone in her voice – something that alarmed the others of her.

The Commanders entered Port Hanshan. They walked up the stairs and passed a blue screen ahead. Alarms went off as they walked through it.

"Weapons detectors. Don't mind the alarms," a familiar voice said. A woman walked around a corner to the Commanders. "I am Gianna Parasini, assistant to Administrator Anoleis. We apologize for the incident at the docking bay."

"I appreciate the help," Jane said impassive.

"You are welcome. You understand that our Security Chief was only doing her job. One of my duties is orientation of new arrivals. Do you have any questions?" Gianna asked. She glanced Trevelyan for a second and he replied with a simple nod.

"Has anyone unusual passed through here recently?" John asked.

"Unusual? An Asari Matriarch passed through a few days ago. Lady Benezia."

"Benezia? She is here?" Liara asked, worried.

"Saren's flunky? Where?" Wrex followed up.

"Can we speak with her?" Jane asked, redirecting the conversation.

"Benezia left for the Peak 15 Research Complex days ago. To the best of my knowledge, she's still there," Gianna answered.

"How do we get there?"

"You'll need to ask Administrator Anoleis for clearance to leave this port. His office is on the main level. Left at the top of the elevator."

Gianna Parasini took her leave and disappeared around the corner again. Liara could feel every Alliance soldier look at her, save for the Commanders and every non-Alliance and non-Human. She raised her head proudly, ready to speak.

"She is here. I can't believe it. I imagine you want to talk to me, Shepard. About my mother."

"No, I don't. I trust you, Liara. You may not be military, but you're part of my crew," John replied.

"Thank you, Shepard. That means a great deal to me."

The Commanders looked at the small elevator. They could hear Jenkins cry at the small compartment before he even said a single word. They split up into two teams again. John's side went first, Wrex going in with him to be done with it right away. The elevator came back down. Jane's team entered, and she pressed the holographic button.

"_Latest news on Thessia reports that several artifacts and paintings have been stolen from their most secured museum. Kasumi Goto is currently a prime suspect, but so far there has been no evidence found. We will keep everyone updated on this news story._"

The door of the elevator slid open at the upper level. John's team had spread around the area, talking to other people to gather information. Jane ordered her team to do the same. Everyone, but Liara and the Commanders spread around to disappear into the crowds of Port Hanshan. The three of them left for Administrator Anoleis' office. Gianna Parasini got out of her seat, greeting the Commanders.

"How can I help you?" She offered.

"We'd like to speak to Anoleis."

"One moment, please." Gianna opened a channel to Administrator Anoleis. "Mr. Anoleis?"

"Yes? What? What!" An energetic voice asked. They could hear it come from the room ahead.

"The Spectres are requesting to see you, sir."

"Right, fine. Come in," the voice grumbled annoyed.

They walked into the other room. A Salarian with a slightly pale complexion sat behind a tidy, well-organized desk. He looked up at the two Human Spectres – not pleased to see more "trouble makers" as he labeled Spectres. The Commanders expected him to stand up, but just sat there waiting.

"You'll excuse me if I don't stand up. I have no time to entertain refugees from that urban blight called Earth."

"Whatever," John said, unfazed. He turned to his sister. "Jane, contact the others. See what they have found out so far."

Normally, she'd go against such an order like that, but knowing that her brother could bludgeon hard enough against Anoleis, she didn't complain. The Commander activated her Omni-Tool, creating a private channel to the others. Acknowledgment lights replied and entered the private COM frequency. She removed herself from Anoleis' presence and wandered off to the windows, looking at a blizzard swooping over them.

"What have you guys found out so far?" Asked the Commander, keeping an eye on anyone spying on her. After all, everyone was alerted of their arrival. News spreads fast.

"_Matriarch Benezia arrived a few days ago with a personal escort; Asari Commandos and cargo – large, heavy and sealed. It passed their weapons screening, but I think there might be something else in there,_" Trevelyan explained over the COM.

"_She's at Peak 15, according to people here. Surface access it cut off, though. You'd need some kind of pass for entry,_" Tali added.

"_The roads are not suitable for travel. Did you see that blizzard out there?_" Williams snapped.

"Did any of you managed to find out why she is here?" Jane asked.

"_No. It seems telling security your intentions on Port Hanshan is not important. But I did manage to find out she's here for Binary Helix,_" Kaidan answered.

"_There's also something going on at Synthetic Insights. Apparently, Sergeant Stirling is dirty,_" Jenkins notified.

"Keep looking for more information."

Acknowledgment lights winked on her Omni-Tool. The Commander looked back at John and Liara walking out of the office. His face was almost completely blood-red, ready to shoot something. Probably almost did. It was a first someone could bludgeon harder than him. He shook his head when Jane looked at his expectantly.

"Mr. Anoleis isn't the only one with a pass to leave Port Hanshan," Gianna whispered, waving at the three to come over. "You've never worked in the corporate world, have you, Commander? You can't bludgeon through bureaucracy."

"I can bludgeon pretty hard," the Commander growled, grinding his teeth.

"Talk to Lorik Qui'in. You should be able to find him at the hotel bar. Can't say more. Not within earshot of Mr. Anoleis," Gianna whispered.

John considered the alternative. He had been looking at this the wrong way the whole time. He couldn't go on the offensive here on Noveria. They had to play by their rules. Not something he liked, but it would do. He nodded at Gianna and walked with the others back into the lobby. Jane created another COM channel to the others.

"Has anyone of you talked to a Lorik Qui'in?" She asked.

"_I believe Trevelyan has. He told us he was going to follow up on another lead, but his COM channel his offline. I think he's at Lorik Qui'in's office,_" Garrus answered. The Commander replied with an irritated sigh.

"Roger that. We'll go there."

John readied his rifle. The guards and civilians at Port Hanshan winced and kept their distance from the three. They met up with Tali by the elevator. She hacked into the security network, overriding the controls. A green light flickered on the elevator. They arrived at Lorik Qui'in's office. There was no sight of Trevelyan. In fact, Noveria ERCS Guards had the place locked up tight. The Commanders gestured at Liara and Tali to stay back as they walked up to two guards.

"Freeze! Hanshan security. This office is sealed."

"Lorik Qui'in gave me a pass in," John lied.

"Qui'in? Are you working for him? He's under investigation."

"Anoleis is paying you to shake this place down. Does Captain Matsuo know you're here?" Jane asked.

"Hey, I'm not the one who wants Qui'in. Anoleis has a Varren up his ass about this guy. How about this? You pretend you didn't see us, we'll pretend we didn't see you." The two ERCS Guards hurried past the Commanders in a fast pace and into the elevator.

Red blips appeared on the radar; among them a green one in an office ahead. So Trevelyan was here. The Commanders took up positions by the first column and peered around the corner to assess the threat ahead. Nothing but regular ERCS Guards. John ran up to the first one, sinking a standard-issue combat knife into the neck. Jane spurted out of the corner, taking another guard down silently. He waved two fingers at the others to follow him up the stairs. They didn't have a clear view, but there were five hostiles according to the radar – and a green one. Jane pushed some leaves of a plant away, peering ahead. Trevelyan's shoulder could be seen in the office ahead. He leaned to his left, looking back at the Commander's position. Whether he looked at her or the guards, she couldn't say.

Liara used her biotics to hit one of the guards with stasis. Tali put two rounds of her shotgun into other guards. Jane finished two others off with her pistol. The stasis started to thaw and the guard dropped to his knees, surprised. John made short work of the final guard and jerked his head to Trevelyan ahead. He walked up to the Commanders, shaking his head at the dead guards downstairs and on the upper level.

"Ever heard of subtle approaches, Commander?" He asked, throwing something at Jane. The Commander snatched it out of the air and looked at data from a desk terminal.

"That's not important. How di–"

"I don't think you're supposed to be in here, Spectres," Sergeant Stirling cut in.

"Do you plan on making me leave?" John threatened, eager to shoot something that was actually evil at heart.

"Leave? You think I'm go–"

John rolled with his eyes, firing two rounds into her kneecaps. The toxic fluid stored within the rounds spread into her bloodstream. The Sergeant twitched her limbs, lying on the ground in pain. Suddenly, everything came to a halt and her biosigns flatlined. Poorly placed rounds impacted on the team's shields and barrier. A Turian guard headbutted Trevelyan. He looked at the guard rubbing his forehead, surprised to see the Bounty Hunter unfazed by it. He replied by headbutting the guard back, a bone-crushing sound splintering the Turian's skull. John advanced on the fleeing guards, taking them down. The red circles on the radar vanished. Jane wanted to ask Trevelyan how he got in here, but he was gone again. Above her, he used his thrusters to keep himself in position as he closed a window on the roof. He dropped back on the floor next to her and walked with them to the elevator. Back on the lobby level, Lilihierax, "Li" as Humans called him, looked at the Commanders walking out.

"Spectres. There've been reports of noise coming from the Synthetic Insights office. Would you know anything about that?" Gianna greeted with a question.

"It's probably Anoleis' thugs ripping the place apart," John answered.

"Smartass, hm? That's fine. I can work with that," Gianna replied playfully. "Meet me at the bar for a drink, before you talk to Qui'in. I'll be waiting."

Gianna Parasini quickly left. Jane took a better look at the data Trevelyan threw at her as they walked to the elevator on the other side. It was evidence to implicate Anoleis. Kaidan and Jenkins hurried up to the Commanders, joining them. The team took the elevator up to the bar. The rest of the team sat around the bar, having a few drinks. None of them with alcohol. Williams and Wrex held a non-alcoholic drinking contest, and Garrus kept score. At first John wanted to tell them about their lack of activity, but squelched the thought to do so. Newt walked up to Trevelyan, holding a cup with juice in it. Scans indicated it was just a harmless mixture of fruits and vegetable turned into a thick goo she gulped up. Gianna waved at them from afar.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. Parasini, Noveria Internal Affairs," Gianna introduced.

"Why is an Internal Affaris agent here?" Liara asked.

"The Executive Board knows about Anoleis' corruption. I've been undercover for six months," she explained. "I want you to convince Lorik Qui'in to testify before the Board. With his evidence, this planet can run profitably again."

"And we need a garage pass to complete our mission," Jane hissed.

"You help my investigation, I'll provide whatever you need. Favor for a favor."

"Does that favor come at bullet velocity like when I helped you?" Trevelyan asked.

"I tried to help you. But you disappeared before I could apologize," Gianna shot back.

"In the long run, it is better to remove the source of the problem," Liara added.

"Look, Shepard. I don't like it either. You Spectres play fast and loose with the law. That's bad for business."

"All right. I'll talk to Qui'in and see if I can convince him," John sighed.

"Thank you. You know where I work. Come talk to me once you know if he'll play ball."

Trevelyan brought them to Lorik Qui'in who patiently sat in a chair, looking at the blizzard outside. The Turian looked up, twitching his mandibles.

"Always a pleasure, Trevelyan. Any news on the matter I asked you to look into?"

"Yes, but the Spectres want to talk to you about it."

Lorik gestured at them to join him at the table. They sat down. He looked at the Commanders and folded his hands together on the table, a curious spark in the Turian's eyes.

"Trevelyan finished the job. But an Internal Affairs investigator contacted us. She wants you to testify against Anoleis," Jane explained.

"Now that you have my property, you want to dictate how I use it? I have no interest in a public spectacle," Lorik growled, looking back and forth between Trevelyan and the Spectres.

"Everyone on this station is chafing under Anoleis' extortion. You might end up a hero," Jane said.

"My employers rely on the goodwill of the Executive Board to work here," Lorik sighed through his brittle voice.

"The Board was already investigating Anoleis. They're concerned about the worm in their own fruit," Tali added.

"All right! It's obvious I cannot dissuade you." Lorik Qui'in got out of his seat. "Very well. I will testify. Make whatever arrangements you need with your contact. I will wait here."

"Everyone, meet us at the Garage," John said over the COM. Acknowledgment lights replied.

The team returned back to the elevator. It brought them back to the lobby level. The blizzard outside took a turn for the worse, the wind howling over the roof. Icicles started to spread on the outside of the glass. Luckily, it was still _warm_ inside. The progress down the lobby toward Administrator Anoleis' office. Gianna almost jumped out of her chair when the Spectres walked in.

"Spectres. Have you given any more consideration to my offer?" She asked, almost in a demanding tone.

"It took some persuasion, but Qui'in has agreed to testify."

"That's a world of stress off my back. I'll take the evidence for safe transport." She sighed in relief at the Commander's words. "I didn't think you'd help me. Being Spectres and all. I guess some of you can be all right." She grabbed a pass from the table and handed it to Jane. "While you were working on Qui'in, I managed to get you a garage pass. Be careful up there."

"I have an arrest to make. Wish I had time to change into something easy to move in. I hate skirts."

The moment Gianna stepped into Anoleis' office without clearance, all hell broke lose. Salarian words were shouted constantly. Trevelyan shook his head at hearing what Anoleis said. Luckily, he didn't have a weapon and surrendered after putting up a _verbal _struggle.

"This is an outrage! I'll see that you never work in this sector again!" Anoleis yelled.

"Yeah, yeah, Get a move on." She walked out of Anoleis' office with him in cuffs. The Commanders looked at Anoleis with a smug smile written on their faces.

"You! Shepard! I demand you place this bitch under arrest!"

"You have the right to remain silent. I wish to God you'd exercise it." She pushed her pistol deeper into the Salarian's back, forcing him to move. Gianna waved at the Commanders. "See you around the Galaxy, Spectres. I owe you two a beer."

Trevelyan rubbed the back of his helmet. They got what they needed: a garage pass. The team made their way back to the garage. On the way there people around the lobby talked about Anoleis' arrest and Sergeant Stirling's demise. Lilihierax greeted them just outside of the garage entry.

"I heard the administrator's been arrested. Any chance you had something to do with that?" He asked politely.

"He was corrupt," John answered.

"Most people here are. I wish you could take them all down. I won't take any more of your time."

He moved out of the way. The Commanders nodded at Lilihierax and made their way to the garage. The rest of the team waited for them by the entrance, crowding the place. They moved out of the way as best they could, making a way for the Commanders. John looked at a nervous guard standing by the door.

"Access to the garage is restricted," she whimpered.

"We have authorization. Excuse us." Jane showed the garage pass.

"Yes, that's genuine. Drive safely. The weather's supposed to be pretty bad out in the Aleutsk Valley."

The garage door opened. The team spread around, and something ticked them off as if they were being watched. Garrus fired his sniper at a fast moving object and a Geth Stalker fell on the ground. Geth emerged out of crates and a squad of Geth Prime advanced on them. They jumped into cover.

"I'd say these are what the Matriarch had stored in the crates," Tali purred over the gunfire.

"No wonder it passed weapons screening."

A Geth Destroyer raced down the room towards Newt and Jenkins. Trevelyan activated his thrusters and moved in on the Destroyer. He deactivated his thrusters as he grabbed the Geth by its shoulders, swinging it against a Geth Prime with increased force. Garrus took down the stunned Geth Prime looming over Trevelyan. The gunfire died. The team gathered by the Mako when Captain Matsuo rushed in with ERCS Guards.

"What did you do in here, Spectres?" She demanded, looking at the Geth littering the room.

"Only what we had to. We didn't ask the Geth to attack."

"Geth? You expect me to– Where did they come from?"

"If I were to guess, the Matriarch packed them in the shipping containers she arrived with."

"I don't believe that. We did thorough scans of those. There were no power sources, no element zero masses..." It finally hit the Captain they were wrong. "If Benezia-sama's containers were packed with these things, there are many more out there."

"I need numbers, Captain. A dozen? A hundred?"

"Dozens at least. They are machines. You could pack them tightly. I must report to the Executive Board. If word gets out of loose Geth, there may be an investor panic."

Captain Matsuo hurried back to Port Hanshan's lobby. The Commanders walked up to the Mako by the gate leading to Aleutsk Valley.


	16. Mistral Valley

**Mistral Valley**

* * *

The freezing wind brushed over their shields and barriers, causing them to lightly flare up. A snowy mist hung around the ghostly mountain pass. It wasn't until now that the Commanders realized they made a mistake. But it was too late to turn back. The Commander's tactical visor showed green outlines ahead of him moving through the thick snow. The wind came about. Everyone's shields collapsed at just the strength of the wind that carried the freezing cold. They all paused, and allowed their shields and barriers to replenish. The remaining cold settled in the centimeter of space between the shields and armor.

"_Commander, come in,_" Trevelyan hailed over the COM.

"How's it up ahead?" John replied. There was a three second pause until Trevelyan answered with a sigh.

"_Bad,_" he reported. "_Geth are setting up a perimeter dead ahead. Colossus and about a dozen automated Geth turrets._"

"Roger that. Keep us posted."

The COM ended. John made a swift gesture at Liara and Wrex to fall in behind him. They met up with Jane who knelt next to Trevelyan and Garrus. They had their snipers readied. John brought his own to bear and looked ahead. There were three turrets ahead, accompanied by a Geth Colossus. They had a clear shot, but whether Garrus and Trevelyan could make the shot with this wind was another thing. Jane looked up at her brother, covered in a thin layer of snow – just like the others. It worked in their favor, serving as camouflage. Garrus adjusted his aim.

"Take the shot," Jane ordered.

Trevelyan fired first. Garrus followed. The two bullets raced through the snowy wind and impacted on the turret's FOF tag. Garrus growled as he didn't intent to hit the Friend-or-Foe tag. Trevelyan, however, did. It went haywire, and attacked the remaining turret and Colossus. It bought the Commanders' team valuable time as they ghosted through a tunnel build into the mountain side. Their body temperatures increased when they entered the tunnel, but not much. The tunnel was abandoned; no Geth welcoming committee – which was odd. The Geth were never this _sloppy_. There was a single light ahead at the end of the tunnel. The Geth Colossus had survived the encounter, and was alerted of their presence. A single blast of ghostly plasma soared through the air. The team managed to duck away before it was too late, and the large ball of plasma passed them further into the tunnel until it dissolved in the distance.

Other Geth turrets were now alerted of their presence, red laser sights piercing through the air. Williams managed to land a grenade by the Colossus' limbs. The grenade thundered, impairing the Geth's movement. It struggled for a few moments, then fell to the ground. Garrus landed several shots on multiple Geth turrets. Either he was _the_ best marksman they had ever known... or incredibly _lucky_. Four turrets turned off. The remaining turrets targeted the team on the other mountain running through the tunnel. They blended back into the snow in the air surrounding them. The red laser sights faded. The team struggled through a winding road with the wind pounding on them. Tali almost lost her balance, but Garrus grabbed hold her leg before she fell over the edge into the bottomless depths. They wiped the snow off their faceplates. There was another Geth turret ahead of them, its red outline giving it away. Jane crouched passed it, and gestured at the others to do the same. The turret continued its perimeter sweep, oblivious to the team sneaking past it. Garrus disabled it after sneaking past it.

"Jenkins, what do you see up ahead?" Jane asked.

There was a moment of silence until he said, "_One Geth turret between us and the entrance to Peak 15._"

The Commanders waved at the rest to follow them. Tali hacked into the last turret, disabling it. A warning sigh went off in everyone's helmets. A large cloud of ice and snow swooped over the Aleutsk Valley. They ran into the building. Inside they wiped the snow of their armor. Temperatures fluctuated for a moment and stayed in balance within manageable parameters. The large, metal door opened. Reds dots appeared within radar range. They took cover before the Geth could spot them. More hostiles moved in from the left, and Krogan entered the garage area. The Commanders were in a tight spot – and they knew it. A single misstep and this could turn bad. John peered around cover. He pointed at Newt, then at a Geth Juggernaut. She realized what he meant, and slunk ahead, covered by John and Trevelyan. Newt, after having observed and being taught by Trevelyan, made it up to the Geth without being seen. Her nimble fingers located some exposed wiring, and she disabled the Geth.

"Move in and keep low," Jane whispered.

They moved to a different position before the Krogan could see them. Garrus melted into the shadows, readied his sniper, and sent a signal to the Commanders. They opened fire. Garrus killed the Krogan overhead. Several Geth Drones hovered to his position, but got caught in the crossfire. The metallic parts clanged on the ground as they exploded. The last Geth fell on the ground. A tense silence settled back in the garage area.

"_Clear!_" Kaidan said over the COM.

"_No further hostiles detectable, Commanders,_" Trevelyan added. He gently clapped Newt on her shoulder. "Nicely done, Newt."

"_User alert. All Peak 15 facilities have suffered a great deal of damage,_" a V.I. said over the COM speakers nearby. "_Biohazard materials present through facility. Virtual Intelligence user interface offline._"

"We need to get the reactors back online," Tali said.

The team advanced up the stairs to higher ground and to a door in the far right corner. On the other side there were turrets placed. Only, they faced the wrong side.

"Why are the turrets facing the wrong way?" Newt asked over a private COM channel to Trevelyan.

"Keep everyone inside, and outsiders out," he whispered back. "Effective, but unnecessary."

There was an elevator to their left. They split into two teams again. After both teams arrived at the top level, Geth stormed into the confined room. Both Liara and Wrex pummeled them back with their biotics beyond the door. Williams and Alenko hurried to the door, taking cover by the sides. The Commanders formed up on them, followed by the rest. They cleared the next area of Geth Shocktroopers. They were about to lower their guard when a strange howl made the metal creak and groan. Echoing _thuds_ followed.

"Animals? Wind? This place is in bad shape," Garrus thought.

"Don't worry, princess. I'll keep you safe," Wrex joked.

An animal screeched nearby. It didn't sound like any animal they knew. Trevelyan jerked his head towards the sound, and looked upon a brown, about a five feet tall creature. His xenobiology scan finished and came up with one match: Rachni. Small green creatures swarmed over the ground to their position. Newt jumped on Trevelyan's back out of fear.

"Spiders!" She cried, shooting wildly around her.

"Spiders? Newt, it aren't spiders; they're Rachni," Trevelyan explained, removing her from his back and dropped Newt back on her feet.

Wrex made an unpleasant growl as he heard the species' name. Rachni soldiers raced down the ramp covered in snow, leaving a strange trail behind. It spat out acid towards the team. Wrex fired a single round that tore through the unprotected skin of the Rachni Soldier. A green, yellow tint of blood appeared beneath the dead creature. They progress down a hallway covered in snow. There was another elevator ahead. They took turns again. John waited impatiently at the top for the elevator to arrive. After meeting up they walked around the corner to a room.

"A backup power system, Shepard. Must be for the station mainframe," Tali said. "The damage is not extensive. It could be repaired."

At least a dozen red dots appeared on their radar.

"Back!" John barked. He threw one of his grenades ahead. It exploded in a brilliant green. Smoldering remains littered the room.

"_Critical startup error. Virtual Intelligence user interface offline. Manual boot required._"

John stepped into the small room. The round floor beneath his feet began to move down. The V.I. core appeared inoperational. He could attempt to manually reconfigure the data banks – something that could take a long time – or use omni-gel to repair the damaged systems. But that would cost a lot: three hundred omni-gel.

"How does it look down there, John?" His sister asked.

"Bad. You wouldn't happen to have three hundred medi-gel by any chance?"

Jane looked around her at the others. Wrex and Kaidan shook their heads in response. She turned to Trevelyan whose Omni-Tool flared up around his wrist. He sent her what he could spare; a hundred omni-gel. Tali volunteered to give her spares; seventy five. Liara added sixty to it. The Commander herself added the remaining sixty five omni-gel to it.

"Sending it you now."

John's Omni-Tool flared up with the incoming omni-gel. He repaired the systems with the omni-gel. A loud buzzing noise went through the systems. The elevator brought him back up to the rest. A hologram flickered up, taking the form of a woman. Energy pulses moved through the V.I.'s body.

"It looks like you are trying to restore this facility. Would you like help?"

"You're the virtual intelligence that runs this place?" John asked.

"The system is monitored to respond to the name "Mira." May I ask your name?"

"Commander John Shepard. I work for the Citadel's Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."

"One moment, please," Mira requested. She appeared to be running a scan. "Council authority confirmed. You are entitled to Secure Access of all systems. Please note that queries relating to corporate secrets require Privileged Access. Privileged Access is only available to Binary Helix executives."

"We need to find Matriarch Benezia," Jane snapped.

"Lady Benezia departed on the passenger tramway to the Rift Station subsidiary labs. User alert! The tramway system is currently inoperable."

"What's the situation here?"

"One moment, please. Diagnostics in progress." Mira was spread too thin, working on other things to repair simultaneously. "Critical failure: Main reactor shut down in accordance with emergency containment procedures. Manual restart required."

John turned to Trevelyan and nodded. The Bounty Hunter picked two others with him; Tali and Garrus. They disappeared around the corner as they headed for the main reactor. The Commander looked back at Mira's impassive face.

"Critical failure: Landline connections are disabled. Passenger tram systems are offline. Report complete. Do you have an additional systems status query?"

"No, thank you," John replied. He snapped to Williams whoo brought her assault rifle to bear. "Williams. You, Wrex and Jenkins keep this place secured."

"Yessir!"

"We are going to the landlines."

The four of them walked into the elevator. An alarm went off inside as it took them up to the upper level. Outside the cold wind welcomed them. A few red dots flickered on the radar. John ghosted ahead, unaware of a Rachni looming over him. They met, eye to eye. Liara threw stasis at it before it could spit acid. The other red dots came to life, moving toward them. Jane fired her pistol, aiming at the eyes of the Rachni Soldiers. Kaidan used his biotics to warp the other Rachni into green goo. Newt fired her pistol at a Rachni Soldier looming over Liara. The last Rachni dropped on the ground. They secured the area, and walked up to the damaged landline. Both Commanders looked at the protruding wiring, exposed to the freezing wind. They repaired the landline and the devices came to life around them.

"Trevelyan, status report on the main reactor," Jane ordered.

"_Tali's busy repairing it. Some Geth Prime showed up. Nothing we cannot handle,_" Trevelyan answered calmly. "_Estimated time of completion: two minutes._"

"Copy that. Meet us back at the lobby when you're done."

"_Roger that, Commander._"

The Commanders walked back into the elevator, leaving the cold behind. It took around two minutes for the elevator to arrive back at the lower level, so she expected the main reactor to be repaired by then. A green blip appeared on her helmet screen, notifying her that the main reactor had been repaired and was functional again. They arrived at the lower level, Williams' and Trevelyan's team greeting them. They took the third and final elevator up.

"_User alert! Loose contaminants in the decontamination chamber. Access to passenger tramways inadvisable._"

Tali bypassed the security of a terminal in a room next to the decontamination chamber. The smoldering remains of Rachni were all that remained. Wrex didn't care. He had seen enough of those creatures to no longer feel pity for them. They progress down a poorly lit hallway to the passenger tram. It was still here. The Geth, or Rachni, mustn't have assumed for the Commanders to make it this far. Though that could only applied for the Geth. For all they knew Geth and Rachni fought each other ahead. Everyone gathered in the tram, sitting down or looking through the glass. John activated the tram to transport them to Rift Station.

"_Departing Central Station. Destination: Rift Station._"

Looking at the same gray, dull walls around them almost caused them to fall asleep. After thirty minutes that felt like an eternity they arrived at the Rift Station. They secured the area around the passenger tram. Kaidan nodded at the Commanders. They relaxed and walked to, yet again, another elevator. What was it with Noveria and elevators? Wouldn't stairs suffice? The team ruthlessly squashed their irrational questions aside. It wasn't the time to think about that. For now, they had to focus on locating Matriarch Benezia. They arrived at the top level. A soldier stood at the far end of the room.

"Stand down," a guard ordered his men. "Sorry. We couldn't be sure what was on the tram."

"Can the Rachni work a train's controls?" John asked. The guard didn't seem affected by use of the word "Rachni." Maybe he just didn't care about it.

"Hell if I know. I'm not assuming any goddamn thing. Look. You're Human, and that's enough that I won't shoot. But I'd like to know who you people are."

"We work for the Citadel's Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Branch," Jane answered. The man must've thought she meant everybody as he looked at all the members in front of him.

"Huh, I won't look heavily-armed horses in the mouth," the man replied. "The aliens overran the Hot Labs last week. Only Han Olar got out, and he ain't all there anymore. First thing we knew, the bastards were clawing into my command post. We had a lot more staff then."

"You were taken by surprise and had civilians to protect. You did a good job, Captain."

"Yeah? Sure as hell doesn't feel like it. The Executive Board sent an Asari to clean up the mess. She went into the Hot Labs yesterday. We haven't heard from her since."

"We're not going to let any of your people die," Jane assured.

"All I can do is hold out here and protect the civilians. There's an emergency elevator out by the trams. This card will let you activate it. It can take you down to the Hot Labs," the Captain explained as he handed John a pass. "Oh, if you need any first aid, Dr. Cohen's downstairs in the Med Bay."

The Commanders nodded at the Captain. They turned to the rest of their team who all looked tense. There was something wrong here – everyone felt it. The Commander split the team in three. Fishy or not, they couldn't let civilians stay defenseless. They spread around the premise. Jane took a team down to the Hot Labs to deal with the Rachni. When they entered, there was a moment surprise. There was a single man sitting in a chair in the room.

"You must listen to me. If we do not contain our mistake, they will drop bombs from the battlestations. You understand?" The man warned, almost in near shock. He had a thick, Russian accent.

"You let the Rachni out?" Jane concluded.

"Ehh, I'm only following the orders." The man swallowed nervously before he continued. "Binary Helix found an egg. It was on a derelict ship, thousands of years drifting."

"I apologize, but we are in a hurry. Can you tell us what we need to do?" Liara cut in.

"The neutron purge must be set off."

"How do we do that? And what does it do?"

"It creates burst of neutron radiation. Kills everything within the station. Things beyond get genetic damage of varying degree. This is the key you need to activate the purge."

Liara managed to hit the Rachni behind the man with stasis. But the shock alone caused the man to faint. Newt and Liara carried him to the elevator. Jane created a COM frequency to her brother. There was a minute of muffled gunfire on the other end.

"John, come in. I need a status update," she said.

"_Roger,_" John breathed. "_An Asari Commando attacked us while we were helping the civilians. I had Trevelyan get the civilians and Captain Ventralis to the passenger tram. We are waiting for you by the door leading to Benezia._"

"All right. We'll meet you there after blowing up the Hot Labs."

The COM snapped off. Newt handed the Commander the pass, along with the code required to initiate the neutron purge. They headed for the end of the room where the Mira V.I. greeted them.

"Connecting. I have full access to the facility, and am at your disposal."

"Activate the neutron purge," Jane ordered.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot do that without proper code of authorization."

"Code input: 875-020-079. Code Omega local execution."

"Verified. Code Omega execution in one hundred and twenty seconds."

The Rachni's screeches echoed through the room. The radar swarmed with red dots all over. They couldn't kill them all, and made the one choice the Commander thought never of making; heading straight through them. The team covered each other and made it to the elevator with some acid boiling on their shields. Thunder rocked on beneath them as they went up. The area upstairs was completely empty, not a single soul left but the Commander's team. They raced down the halls to meet with John's team. Liara's eyes had a troubled and unfocused gleam in them. Nobody could ever be ready to fight family, let alone their very mother.


	17. Matriarchs and Queens

**Matriarchs and Queens  
**

* * *

John gently placed his hand on Liara's shoulder without saying anything, but the gesture alone spoke volumes to her. They walked in, brought their weapons to bear, and looked around the room. It was empty, apart from two different heartbeats. There was an Asari in a pin-striped suit standing on the top of the ramp, looking at a cage to their right. She didn't bother looking at the Commanders, but knew they were there.

"You do not know the privilege of being a mother. There is power in creation. To shape a life. Turn it toward happiness or despair," Benezia spoke. She pointed to a large Rachni, locked in a cage: A Queen. "Her children were to be ours. Raised to hunt and slay Saren's enemies."

Matriarch Benezia finally directed her full attention to the well-armed team and took several paces forward. She looked at her own daughter with a cold, emotionless glare.

"I won't be moved by sympathy. No matter who you bring to this confrontation," she threatened.

"Liara's here because she wants to be. Not because I asked her to," John explained.

"Indeed? What have you told them about me, Liara?"

"What could I say, mother? That you're insane? Evil? Should I explain how to kill you? What _could_ I say?" Liara cried out as a last resort to her mother to stop. The Matriarch waved her hand dismissively at Liara, and dragged her glare to the Commanders.

"Have you faced an Asari Commando unit before? Few Humans have." Benezia took several more steps toward them.

"I can't believe you'd kill your own daughter," John said, perplexed.

"I now realize I should have been more stricter with her."

Benezia's biotic signatures flared up. A blast of stasis crossed the room toward the team. Trevelyan managed to counter it with his own powers, deflecting it back at her. Though, as he predicted, it had no immediate effect on Benezia herself. The team took up defensive positions. Two Asari Commandos stormed into the room. Garrus readied his sniper and stripped away their shields before he was forced to take cover. Wrex and Jane returned fire. They fell down, and the Matriarch played it more aggressive. Geth soldiers swarmed in with two more Asari Commandos. Tali hacked into their systems. Newt felt a powerful biotic throw knock her into the wall, dazing her. A crate crossed the room toward her. She barely managed to roll away from it. Wrex headbutted an Asari Commando back, chuckling and taunted her to attack. The Commando leaped forward and swung her rifle at the Krogan like a baseball bat. Her ribs cracked as Wrex punched her into the wall. She twitched her limbs twice, and then, stopped.

"_Alenko and Jenkins are down!_" Trevelyan barked over the COM. Gunfire echoed over the channel. "_Garrus down. Newt down._"

"You are clear to act as you see fit. Engage hostiles, but Matriarch Benezia is ours," John ordered.

The COM snapped off. Trevelyan pulled the wounded out of the line of fire, Wrex and Tali covering him. He focused on tending to the wounded. Garrus brushed Trevelyan's hand off his shoulder, and placed himself in position to aim his sniper. More Geth Shock Troopers and Asari Commandos entered the room from all sides. They had to change to rules of engagement. Trevelyan finished tending to the wounds, and brought his own pistol to bear. He assisted the Commander in taking down three Geth Snipers on the far end of the room. Tali and Wrex moved in to take down the Asari Commandos with their shotguns. Benezia felt her power weaken as the Commander's team overpowered her.

"Clear!" The Commander shouted. The rest of the team walked up to them, medi-gel leaking from several oozing wounds.

"This is not over. Saren is unstoppable. My mind is filled with his light. Everything is clear," Benezia said as she struggled to her feet.

"The Rachni didn't cooperate with you. Why should we?" Jane replied.

"I will not betray him. You will– you." There was a sudden change in Benezia's behavior. She turned to face the Commanders. "You must listen. Saren still whispers in my mind. I can fight his compulsions. Briefly. But the indoctrination is strong."

"So you could turn on us again." John made a crisp nod at the wounded team members to keep their distance. He and his sister hovered with their hands over their sidearms.

"Yes. But it would not be my will, Shepard. People are not themselves around Saren. You come to idolize him. Worship him. You would do anything for him," Benezia explained. "The key is Sovereign, his flagship. It is a dreadnought of incredible size and its power is extraordinary."

"Sovereign's not like other ships. Where did it come from?"

"It _is_ a Reaper," Trevelyan cut in.

"I cannot say. The Geth did not build it. Its technology is far more advanced than that of any known species," Benezia continued, but something about the Bounty Hunter's words began to ate away in her mind. "The longer you stay aboard, the more Saren's will seems correct. You sit at his feet and smile as his words pour into you. It is subtle at first. I thought I was strong enough to resist. Instead, I became a willing tool, eager to serve. He sent me here to find the location of the Mu Relay. Its position was lost thousands of years ago."

"I take it the Rachni know where it is, right?"

"Yes, they discovered the Mu Relay. The Rachni can share memories across generations. Queens inherit the knowledge of their mothers." Benezia lowered her head. "I took the location of the relay from the Queen's mind. I was not gentle."

"You can still make it right. Give us the information."

"I was not myself, but– I should have been stronger," Benezia replied as she walked up to John. "I transcribed the data to an OSD. Take it. Please."

"Knowing the relay's coordinates is not enough. Do you know where he planned to go from there?" Jane asked. She felt bad for asking more question – but they had to. It was invaluable.

"Saren wouldn't tell me his destination. But you must find out quickly. I transmitted the coordinates to him before you arrived." A pained expression spread over the Matriarch's face. She went with her fingers down her face. "You have to stop– me. I can't– His teeth are at my ear. Fingers on my spine. You should– uh, you should–"

"Mother, I– don't leave! Fight him!" Liara cried. John kept her back for her own safety.

"You've always made me proud, Liara."

There was a moment of tense silence that felt like an eternity. She turned to the Commanders. Matriarch Benezia's biotics flared up, higher and more powerful than before. The Commanders barely managed to dodge an incoming blast of warp bolstered by stasis. Four Asari Commandos spread around the area. Garrus and Wrex took them down with well-placed shots. Benezia slammed Trevelyan into the wall as he pushed Newt out of the way, punching the air out of the Bounty Hunter's lungs as he took the blast. She then turned to Garrus and hit him with stasis before he could aim his sniper. John rose to action. It was the last thing Benezia expected him to do. He tackled her down and overpowered her with pure strength. He kept her pinned down until she stopped resisting and her biotic signatures disappeared.

"I cannot go on. You will have to stop him, Shepard." The Matriarch struggled back to her feet.

"Hold on! We've got medi-gel, maybe we can–"

"No. He's still in my mind. I am not entirely myself. I never will be again." Benezia scuffled back into the wall and slowly collapsed through her knees.

"Mother..."

"Good night, Little Wing. I will see you again with the dawn." Life slowly retreated from her eyes. "No light? They always said there would be– ah..."

Liara knelt next to her mother, cradling Benezia's head in her arms. John stayed with her, trying to console her. His sister checked on the Rachni Queen if she was injured during the fight, and most importantly, aware of them. She tried to peer through a layer of ice covering the glass cage. A single tentacle made contact with the glass in front of the Commander. She jumped back into a dead Asari Commando that miraculously walked. The other team members snapped to action, raising their weapons. Jane raised her fist. They lowered their guard and watched the Asari walk to the window. She then turned around to face the team.

"This one. Serves as our voice. We cannot sing. Not in these low spaces. Your musics are colorless," a disembodied voice said.

"Musics? ...What?" Tali purred.

"Your way of communicating is strange. Flat. It does not color the air. When we speak, one moves all. We are the mother. We sing for those left behind. The children you thought silenced..."

The Commanders approached the glass cage again.

"...We are Rachni."

"How are you speaking through her?"

"Our kind sing through touchings of thought. We pluck the strings, and the other understands. She is weak to urging," the Rachni Queen explained. "She has colors we have no names for. But she is ending. Her music is bittersweet. It is beautiful. We stand before you. What will you sing? Will you release us? Are we to fade away once more?"

"Look. See those tanks?" Tali pointed at acid tanks installed into the cage. "Acid. Strong enough to kill anything, no matter its biology. They wouldn't have installed that if they weren't afraid of the consequences of her getting loose."

"That's a horrible death. Nothing deserves that," Newt remarked. Her mentor would agree, but he excluded that for one other.

"They made a mistake. They let the Krogan go too far. This is a chance for us to atone. She has done nothing to us," Liara added.

"Sure. Blame the Krogan," Wrex growled.

"Your companions hear the truth. You have the power to free us, or return our people to the silence of memory."

"We won't destroy your entire race. You'll go free," John answered.

"You will give us the chance to compose anew? We will remember. We will sing of your forgiveness to our children."

"Sing of your forgiveness? Mark my words, this will bite you in the ass," Wrex sighed.

The Rachni Queen chirped and jerked her head toward the Commanders. It felt as if they looked into each others eyes. The Commander tapped several authorization commands into the terminal. The mechanical arms lifted the cage up to another hallway and the door slid open. The Asari fell back on the ground as the Queen relinquished her control. The Queen took one last look at the Commanders. They nodded back. Whether the Rachni Queen understood the gesture, they couldn't say, and she left for the exit. There was nothing but silence that settled back in the room. The brought Matriarch Benezia's body with them to the passenger tram for transportation – perhaps even a proper burial – and returned to the _SSV Normandy_. The team settled in the COM Room.

"What's our next move, Commanders? Head for the Mu Relay?" Asked Ashley. Some members of the team shook their heads at her words.

"The Mu Relay could link to dozens of systems. Unless we know exactly where Saren's going, we'd just be wasting our time," John replied. He kept his irritation from the others. This was their last lead, now they had nothing.

"The Commander is right. We cannot rush off blind. We still need to learn more about Saren," Liara added.

"Who put you in charge? Did the Commanders resign when I wasn't looking?" Ashley snarked. She leaned back in her seat with a smug smile when Liara lowered her head.

"Tell me, Williams, what do you do when someone replies at muscle velocity at your arrogance?" Trevelyan said, annoyed by Williams' constant harassment against the non-Humans. Liara looked at Trevelyan, then dragged her eyes to Williams.

"I'm a master at hand-to-hand combat. I'll drop you," Ashley shot back. He replied with a disapproving sigh, slowly shaking his head.

"We're all on the same team here, Williams. She's just trying to help," John said, diffusing the verbal attacks.

"Sorry, Commander," she excused.

"Don't let it happen again, or there will a pool about who will win that hand-to-hand fight," John said in his on-the-mission voice.

"This is a tough mission. We're all on edge. Everyone go get some rest. Crew... dismissed!" Jane ordered.

"_Noveria report is away, Commanders. You want me to patch you through to the Council?_" Joker asked over the COM.

"Patch them through, Joker."

"_Setting up a link now, Commander._"

The three holograms of the Citadel Council flickered up. They looked tense, nervous. Councilor Valern cupped his three fingers on his chin. The Asari Councilor held a copy of the report on her hand.

"Is this report accurate, Commanders? You found Rachni on Noveria?" Councilor Tevos asked, puzzled.

"And then released the Queen! Do you two have any idea what you've done? How many generations until they overrun the Galaxy?" Councilor Sparatus growled.

"This Queen is... different. She understands why her kind had to be wiped out last time around," John explained, keeping his irritation at bay. Though, the Councilor made that hard with each snide remark he had. Sparatus had a problem with Humans that was rooted more deeply. More personal.

"I hope you are right, Shepard. Our children's children will pay the price if you're not."

"We'll be waiting for your next report, Commanders."

The holograms deactivated. What next report? They had exhausted all their leads. All. The Commanders walked down to the Mess Hall. There was nobody, just a tranquil silence. John wanted to check up on Liara. He walked into the Medical Bay to his _own_ room, but she wasn't there. If she sought out solace, as he thought, then Liara would be at Deck Twelve. He walked down the Mess to the elevator and took it to Deck Twelve. There were more people in there than he thought. Newt sat in some kind of hardlight pilot seat. Trevelyan sat by a desk, accompanied by Tali. In the far end of the room sat Liara by the window overlooking the sea of nebula. John nodded at the others as he made his way to her. He sat down next to Liara whose eyes reacted to his movement.

"If you are here to talk about Benezia's death, you need not bother. She brought it upon herself," Liara said.

"Don't pretend it doesn't bother you. She was your mother," John replied as gentle as he could. He could see through the impassive visage she carried on her face.

"She was... but she was not. I prefer to remember Benezia as she used to be, before she was corrupted by Sovereign's power," she replied.

"The best of you mother lives on in you: her determination, her intelligence, her strength."

"That is kind of you to say. I appreciate your concern, but I am fine. Benezia chose her path, just as I have chosen mine. I am with you until the end, Shepard." Liara leaned towards the Commander. "There is a reason the Council chose you to become a Spectre. They saw something special in you: the best of what Humanity has to offer. I looked into your history. I know what you did during the Blitz; it was a remarkable display of courage and heroism."

"You didn't need to go behind my back. I would've told you whatever you wanted to know," John replied.

"I apologize, Commander. After our last conversation, I was afraid I would say something stupid again," she excused. Liara avoided eye contact for a moment. "I wanted to know more about you to understand what made you into the man you are. There is something... compelling about you, Shepard."

"Are you sure you are interested in me? Or is it my visions of the Protheans?"

"I admit, your connection to the Protheans had something to do with my initial interest. But it has grown beyond that. You intrigue me, Shepard. But I was not sure if it was... appropriate to act on my feelings. I thought there might already be a relationship between you and Gunnery-Chief Williams."

"Ashley?" John literally had to wrap his head around how Liara came to that conclusion. "We are just friends, nothing more."

"My mistake, then. I am not as adept at understanding Human relationships as I thought." Liara looked over her shoulder at the others. They were out of hearing range. Maybe not for Trevelyan, though, he was busy talking to Newt. She turned back to the Commander. "But what about us? Is there are a mutual attraction? Or was I wrong about that, too?"

"No, you were right. There is something between us," John answered, smiling. Her eyes sparkled like stars in the night, cheeks a tint deeper blue.

"I knew it! And I knew you felt it, too. But does this not seem rather strange? Why do I feel so close to you? We have only known each other for a short time. We are from two different species. We have almost nothing in common. This makes no sense," Liara said. She couldn't control herself and there was a weird, tingling feeling in her stomach.

"These things never make sense. They just happen and we get swept up in the storm."

"You make it sound so... chaotic. So dangerous."

"I'll keep you safe," John replied.

"I'm not looking for a protector. This is all a bit overwhelming. I'm not used to... _this_. You. I need some time."

"Take all the time you need, Liara. I'll be here–"

"Did anyone see that?" Newt yelled out of the blue. Every eye turned to the girl looking around her with a helmet on that blocked her vision. "Oh, right... Sorry."

"I should go," John said and got up.

The Commander entered the elevator, and another person swooped in between the closing door. Trevelyan snapped the Commander a crisp nod. John raised his brow, noticing the Bounty Hunter held a datapad in his hand.

"Commander, I need to make a request," Trevelyan said.

"What's that?" The Commanders asked, piqued.

"I need to leave for Arcadia."

"I'm not sure I understand. You want to leave the _Normandy_ or have us take you there?"

"Either option would do."

"I don't want to invoke the _wrath_ of my sister so," John sighed, "We'll go there after Garrus' mission about Dr. Saleon."

Right now it felt like they had lost the pursuit with Saren. But maybe, _maybe_, they could find another clue to investigate. Even the smallest clue could tip this into their favor. The Commander walked out of the elevator. He expected Trevelyan to come with him, but he stayed in the elevator and took it back to Deck Twelve. John knocked on the door of his sister's quarters. He rubbed over the yellow mark on his chin; the place where the Krogan Commando kneed him back on Feros. It still hadn't healed. She opened the door. Her hair was impeccably done, but she had dark rings under her eyes. He stepped into her room, ready to talk about where to go from here.


	18. Sidetracked

**Sidetracked  
**

* * *

Garrus shouldered his sniper. He was already waiting by the airlock, eager to take down Dr. Saleon; a shadow from the past. The Commanders walked down the CIC to his position. He snapped a crisp nod to the Commanders. The _SSV Normandy_ docked with the _MSV Fedele_. They walked down the sterile white tunnel. There was a minor shift in gravity as the door closed behind them. It looked abandoned, but they knew better. Scans indicated at least a half a dozen signals of movement on board. Garrus moved ahead, pressed a button the holographic panel, and the door parted in two. The central hub was build like a maze; dozens of crates stacked in corners, as if intended for test subjects. Three red blips appeared on the Commander's radar. He dropped a white NAV marker ahead of them on his heads-up display.

"_I'm in position, copy?_" Jane whispered over the COM. She aimed her pistol at green, husk-like creatures that continuously bled from fresh cuts on their bodies. A green light flickered on her visor in response. "_Marking targets._"

Arrows appeared on everyone's visor, moving several feet ahead of them. Biosigns listed them as clinically dead, yet they walked. John melted into the shadows. One of the creatures passed him, oblivious to the Commander two feet away from it. He ghosted up to the creature, set his knife in its neck, and it exploded in a green blast. They were prone to weapons. The other two creatures ran blindly down the corridor, only to meet their demise at Jane's pistol rounds. They, too, exploded. There was one long hallway build out of the storage crates. They entered the pilot's seat. Nobody. Garrus hacked into a door panel and activated it remotely. There was a Salarian on the other side. He looked unharmed, but there was something _off_ about him. It was in the Salarian's eyes. Another test subject, perhaps?

"Thank you. Thank you for saving me from those things," he thanked.

"Commanders. That's him. That's Dr. Saleon," Garrus snapped.

"What? My name is Heart. Dr. Heart. Please, get me out of here," Dr. Heart cried out as a chill strike ran down his spine.

"Are you sure it's him, Garrus?" Jane asked. While she couldn't deny the weird feeling surrounding the Salarian – they couldn't just arrest a person – Spectre authority or otherwise.

"Positive," he barked. Garrus snapped his head back to Dr. Saleaon and said, "There is no escape this time, Doctor. I'd harvest your organs first, but we don't have the time."

"You're crazy. He's crazy. Please, don't let him do this to me."

"We'll take him in. Drop him off at the military," Jane suggested. Her words earned a surprised glare from both her brother and Garrus . . . and Dr. Saleon.

"But... we have him. We can't let him get away. Not again?" Garrus said, afraid of history repeating itself.

"If he dies, we'll never know what he's been up to, or how he did it. We'll take him in, interrogate him, and he'll serve his time," Jane explained.

"I've..." Garrus began to protest but squelched the rest of his words. "Okay. You're right." He looked at Dr. Saleon for a few minutes and finally said, "You're a very lucky Salarian. You owe the Commanders your life."

"Oh. Thank you so very much!"

There was something about the way Dr. Saleon replied that alarmed them. Before the Doctor could move a single muscle, Jane already placed a bullet in the man's knee. Oddly enough, it killed him. This was the first time she ever saw someone die of a single gunshot wound to the knee. John kicked the Salarian with his boot to check if he was truly dead. He shrugged at his sister, perplexed that Saleon was indeed dead. Garrus, however, looked troubled and thought deeply about something.

"And so he dies anyway. What was the point of that?" He asked with a voice cold enough to freeze helium.

"You can't predict how people will act, Garrus. But you can control how you'll respond. In the end, that's what really matters," John answered.

"Yeah. I don't think I've ever met anyone like you two, Commanders." For a moment Garrus stared in front of him. He snapped out of it and nodded at the Commanders. "Well... I guess we're done here."

Back on the _SSV Normandy_, Joker notified them of a transmission they received while the Commanders dealt with the _MSV Fedele_. Asari Matriarchs had come to take Matriarch Benezia's body with them to Thessia for a proper burial. Apparently, it had all been taken care of with the Citadel Council. The Alliance had sent coordinates about increased Geth activity in the Armstrong Cluster of the Skyllian Verge. Joker plotted the new course. While it was a relative small cluster, they'd need everyone to clear the areas faster.

"_ETA to Skyllian Verge: One hour._" The Normandy V.I. announced.

The hour went by fast. Tali had herself strapped in the Mako, eager to see about this "Geth incursion." Perhaps there was something there to take back to the Flotilla as a worthy Pilgrimage gift. The others of the Commander's team joined Tali in the back of the Mako, and settled down. Jane sat down behind the Mako's controls, a familiar sight to look at. She missed driving it last time. The Mako launched out of the Cargo Bay. It raced down through the atmosphere to a planet covered in ice: Antibaar. Green lights of her team glowed steadily on Jane's heads-up display. The team left the Mako to look up. The atmosphere of methane and argon gave the sun a purple glow as its gleams spread over the valley. Newt took a picture with her Omni-Tool.

"_Jane, come in._" John hailed over a private frequency. "_We need the Mako for surface movement on the planet we are heading. We cannot climb those mountains on foot. I almost forgot. Have Tali come back, too. The place we're heading has several buildings._"

"Copy that. Hang on," Jane said, tapping several controls into the Mako's dash with a small delay. "Mako returning to Normandy."

The Mako used its element zero core to lighten its mass. It used its thrusters to reach the airborne _SSV Normandy_ that snatched it out of the sky. An amber light flickered on her visor. They looked up as the Normandy disappeared beyond the atmosphere. The Commander turned to Trevelyan who holstered his sidearm. He rarely, if ever, seemed to use anything other than that experimental Phalanx. Just like Newt. Garrus shouldered his sniper and walked up to the Commander's position. Newt and Trevelyan ran up to the Commander who peered into the distance. There were energy signatures present three klicks ahead of them. She pointed two fingers at the others of her team, then to a mountain dead ahead. They walked for thirty minutes when Trevelyan suddenly placed his arm in front of the Commander, keeping her back. She was about to say something when she noticed his visor scanned the open area ahead. It looked normal, just an icy plain. He lowered his arm after a minute of silence and turned his face to the Commander.

"We'll have to hug the wall to the right," he stated flatly, pointing at the mountain side to their right.

"The ice is too thin?" Jane replied.

"Not at all," he started. He knelt on the ground, cupped his hands together to make a ball of ice, and threw it as far as he could. It landed in the center of the plain. The ground started to tremble. A massive, worm-like creature lunged out of the ice. "A Thresher Maw."

"All right. We'll hug the wall."

They jumped down by the edge on to the plain. In the distance they could see the Thresher Maw look around and disappeared back into the ground through the hole it created. They were almost at a creak in the mountain side, leading to the energy signatures. Garrus risked a peek around the corner. There was a small Geth encampment set up; three Geth Snipers, and six Geth Rocket Troopers, but also a Geth Colossus. Jane joined him, also looking ahead. While she had faced tougher assignments than this – it'd require a _delicate_ approach.

"Trevelyan, get up on that mountain, cover yourself in snow, and take down the snipers and rocket troopers," the Commander ordered.

He replied with a nod and started his climb up the mountain. She half expected him to use his thrusters but knew better than to think a Bounty Hunter, Trevelyan at that, would be foolish enough to do so. She could see him ready his sniper and cover himself in snow, blending with the environment. She pointed at Garrus, then to another point on a mountain to their left. He, too, climbed up and melded into the snow. One of the Geth Rocket Troopers strayed off its perimeter. The Commander ghosted up to it, broke the system, and took the hand-held rocket launcher. It felt light in hand for Jane and ghosted back. She handed it to Newt.

"See that small cave?" Jane asked, pointing at a cavern in the mountain side. Newt nodded back at her. "Get in there, cover yourself in snow and fire the rocket launcher on my mark."

When Newt made it safely to the cavern, the Commander looked up at the howling wind. She quickly covered herself in snow, biosigns indicating body heat lowering at a dramatic rate, and watched the Geth Dropship drop off reinforcements. Two Geth Primes rose from the snowy cloud, along with Shock Troopers and more Rocket Troopers. The team waited for the Geth Dropship to disappear. Jane sent a blue blip to Trevelyan's visor. The snow muffled his Sniper round that soared through the icy air and destroyed the Geth Sniper. She sent a marker to Garrus. Another muffled sound rang in the air, and the last sniper fell. The two Geth Prime looked around them, trying to scan for heat signatures, but there was nothing. The Commander waited for the wind to settle, and sent a marker to Newt. A ghostly rocket crossed the area and impacted on the Geth Colossus' shield, stripping away a large chunk.

"Free to engage," Jane said over a private COM frequency. Acknowledgment lights flickered on her heads-up display.

Muffled gunshots echoed through the air. The Geth Colossus exploded after the twelfth rocket hitting its optics. The last Geth fell on the ground. The tranquil silence settled in the area. All of them popped out of the snow, shivering. Trevelyan jumped down the mountain, landed in soft snow that softened his fall, and ran up to the others. As they inspected the encampment, they came to the conclusion there was nothing important here.

"_Jane, come in._"

"I'm here. Found anything at your Geth base? Ours was clean."

"_Negative. Listen, we are en route to your location. There appears to be a large valley where the Normandy can land to pick you up._" John explained. The Normandy's thrusters rumbled in the sky overhead.

"Negative. There's a Thresher Maw there," she warned. The Commander snapped her fingers to the others.

They ran back to the valley. The _SSV Normandy_ hovered dangerously close to the Thresher Maw. Joker's excellent skills allowed them to evade the incoming acids and blasted the ginormous creature apart. Smoldering Thresher Maw remains littered the icy plain. Trevelyan's radar went haywire, indicating several movements beneath them as the ground began to tremble. Jane's team ran into the opening Cargo Hold. They weren't going to stick around if this could be a Thresher Maw nest.

"_ETA to new set of coordinates: ten minutes._"

Ten minutes was just enough time for them to warm up. While both teams had come up empty handed, Tali had extracted numerous Geth memory cores, but there was no new data to be recovered. The Normandy entered the atmosphere, closing in on the coordinates. Casbin was mostly mountains and hills, with no real place for the team to land. Joker fired the secondary weapons at a Geth Dropship, annihilating it along with the Geth ground forces. Whatever the Geth had – it was gone now. No Geth signatures were present on the planet anymore. He adjusted the flight path to the remaining planet: Rayingri. In the meanwhile, the team renewed their energy. They sat in the Mess, having something to eat or drink. They'd have to make a stop by the Citadel – they were almost through their food supply.

"_Last coordinates, Commanders. I hope there will be something here._" Joker's voice rang over the COM.

The Mako shuddered through the atmosphere and landed on the hot, dry planet. It was barren. In fact, it looked more like an asteroid close to the sun than an actual terrestrial world. They could see a cyclonic windstorm in the distance, closing in on them. They had maybe two hours tops. Jane followed the beacons on the road leading uphill to a research outpost. They secured the area and entered the outpost.

"Anything, Tali?" John asked after clearing the rooms of Geth.

"No. Wait..." Tali purred and activated her Omni-Tool. "I've picked up another Geth signal, somewhere in this cluster."

"We'll go there."

They raced back to the Mako. There was only one other system present; Grissom, and only a handful of planets there to explore. They could find the remaining Geth outpost. The _SSV Normandy_ plotted a course to the Grissom System. John had himself located in the COMM Room, having a conversation with Admiral Kahoku about his missing men, and how they died by being lured into a Thresher Maw nest. Joker tugged the rim of his cap and opened a ship wide broadcast.

"_Final destination, Commanders. Solcrum._"

The _SSV Normandy_ landed as close as they could to the Geth signatures. Geth Colossus had opened fire on the ship and turned into smoldering, tiny pieces of metal around the building. The Mako drove ahead with no resistance. They arrived at the underground base. Jenkins and Kaidan took point. The area down there was wide and open, no cover to aid them. Jenkins stepped in, undid his grenade belt, and swung it to a Geth Destroyer's feet. The room next to them thundered, and the rubble rain down the ceiling. A recording of a Quarian singing a lament had been transmitted back to the Geth worlds beyond the Perseus Veil. They secured the area.

"Clear!" Williams shouted, shouldering her assault rifle.

"This should be interesting," Jane mumbled after hacking into a Geth data terminal. She turned around to Tali. Jane quickly hid the surprise on her face with a smile.

"Shepard, I need to talk to you. It's important," she purred.

"Is something wrong?"

"That data you just took on the Geth. I'd like a copy of it," Tali explained.

"You want to bring this data back to the Migrant Fleet," Jane assumed. She was probably right. This information would be invaluable to the Quarians. A great Pilgrimage gift, indeed.

"Those files have information that could be vital in our effort to understand the Geth. It could be the key to us reclaiming our homeworld."

"You think you can use this information to destroy your enemy?"

"Not right away," Tali said. "We will need to study it. It could take years. But it will give us insight on how the Geth have changed, evolved over the past centuries."

"Go ahead. Make a copy." Jane handed Tali the data, and she quickly copied the stored files to her own datapad.

"My people, I, owe you a great debt. One I can never repay. The only thing I can offer in return is what you already have: my solemn promise to stay with you until Saren and his Geth armies have been defeated."

"Never wanted anything more, Tali." Jane nodded with a smile. The others had secured most of the intact and valuable technology.

"_Commanders, the galaxy wide scan on Tonn Actus is finally complete. He's on Tuntau, in the Phoenix System of Argos Rho._"

More sidetracking. While that was true, it also gave them a reason to keep exploring and hopefully come across another lead. The Council didn't have anything new. Why should they wait? Trevelyan sat this mission out. He walked back to Deck Twelve with Newt. If they were going to Arcadia after this – he'd need to come clean and fill in all the blanks Newt's mother hadn't told about him. She undid her armor, placed it on the stand, and walked back up to Trevelyan who gestured at Newt to sit down. She couldn't hide the surprise on his face as he removed his helmet even though she had seen his face one time already. Back at the Citadel. His eyes were almost pure white, except for a silver circle where normally the iris is. But they still carried a serious look.

"There is something I have to tell you," Trevelyan started. Where was he supposed to begin? There was a lot of information he had to cover. No, start simple. "We are going to Arcadia, and I don't want your mind to be clouded by any rumors or reputations about me. Only the truth should be there."

"Okay..." Newt leaned forward until her elbows rested on her thighs.

"What did your mother tell you about me?"

"That you were part of Goliath's original experiment to fight against a Spectre uprising. But I don't know when all this happened," she answered.

"We fought in _2075 CE_," Trevelyan started. He could hear her calculate the years.

"How... that was a hundred and eight years ago!" Newt straightened up in her seat, perplexed. It couldn't be true. No man could live that long. With today's technology it'd be an achievement to reach a hundred and fifty years of age, but this happened way before that. She shook her head and set her own thoughts aside. "How old are you exactly?"

"I'm a hundred and thirty-two years old, Newt."

"You're the oldest on the ship?"

"No, Wrex has that throne." Trevelyan leaned back in his seat. "Do you have any questions?"

"Some, but I'll start with one," she replied. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because when we get to Arcadia, I want you to know everything so you don't have to find out there. That, and you deserve to know it from me personally. Anything else?" Trevelyan explained. He felt another presence watching them. He made a crisp, but quick, gesture with his hand at Newt before she could ask her question. "Is there a reason you seem to eavesdrop on any conversation I have with Newt? Commander."

"Just concerned for her, and you," the Commander answered. She couldn't contain the surprise and shock on her face as he looked over his shoulder at her. He looked inhuman to her. Jane broke out of the thoughts that clouded her mind and cleared her throat. "Is there anything we should know about?"

"This is a private matter for Newt only," he replied dismissively.

This came as a surprise to the Commander, but this time she managed to hide that with a smile and nodded. Trevelyan waited for the elevator to close, and brought his attention back to Newt whose face was completely pale as she had never heard his voice that cold before. She stayed in that state for a few minutes, and finally, relaxed.

"Sorry," he apologized with the best gentle voice he could make. "Is there anything else you want to know?"

"Is my mother on Arcadia?" She asked.

"She is."

"I need to talk to her, too." Newt shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "Do you have all the information on a datapad, perhaps?"

He smiled, but to Newt it didn't fit him. Not with how he looked. He grabbed a datapad and handed it her. She thoughtfully read through it, taking notes, and continued. He was sure she'd come with questions to him and patiently waited.


	19. Trouble on the Homefront

**Trouble on the Homefront  
**

* * *

Joker gritted his teeth, set the new flight path, and looked at the _SSV Normandy_ pull a dangerously sharp turn. Well, not _dangerous_ by Joker's standards. If the Commanders knew what kind of stunts he could do, they'd throw him out of the airlock. He looked over his shoulder at Trevelyan standing behind him, arms crossed. The Commanders also stepped into the cockpit. Jane looked at Trevelyan who ignored her and kept his face locked on the planet ahead: Arcadia. His home. He may not have been born there, but he lived there from for his entire life, training every day. The ship stopped just before they entered the atmosphere. Joker pulled up the scans of the planet and jerked his head to the Commanders.

"The planet's heat signatures are too hot for you to set foot on. It's over three hundred degrees celsius," Joker snapped and enlarged the screen.

"Don't let the heat signatures fool you. Take us in at these coordinates," Trevelyan ordered, sending new coordinates.

Joker's mouth fell open and he looked at the Commanders. They nodded at him to confirm to new coordinates. The _SSV Normandy_ shifted in space. The nose of the ship cut through the dense atmosphere like a hot knife through butter. Small, silver particles brushed over the shields of the ship and activated; blue lights winking and engulfed the _SSV Normandy's_ shielding as it descended. The small particles in front of Joker took a larger shape of a "disasssembler" robot.

"What are these things? Are they damaging the ship?" John asked.

"Negative, they are just scanning us," Joker explained and pulled up another screen with the effects. Strings of data rolled down.

"It's nanotechnology. It _was_ dormant on Zaherux, but we extracted it from there and filled our atmosphere with it. They're programmed to disassemble dormant satellites and ships that get caught in our orbital gravity," Trevelyan explained. The robot vaporized into tiny, silver particles and disappeared. "It scanned for lifesigns and halted the protocols for disassembling. You can safely continue to the coordinates."

"Incredible," Jane muttered as she looked at several dozen towers spanning the surface of Arcadia, emitting domes of energy. The radius was at least two hundred kilometers of each dome.

The rest of the team hurried down the CIC toward the cockpit to catch a glimpse of Arcadia. The _SSV Normandy_ passed through a dome, and heat signatures dropped to manageable parameters. Joker docked the ship on a landing deck large enough to house ten Destiny Ascensions in two rows of five. There were other ships, too. The other ships had a blue wing painted on their hulls. Though there weren't any life or energy signatures present. Trevelyan stepped out first, inhaled deeply with his ventilation scrubbers offline, and nodded. He kept his emotions to himself, but was glad to see most of the ruins had been rebuild. He set his emotions aside. This was not a visit. The rest of the team walked up to the Bounty Hunter who didn't say a word. Instead, he just looked at the sun retreating behind the ghostly mountain tops.

The last gleam disappeared behind the mountain, then stars illuminated the darkened sky.

The sky wasn't completely black, though. The nanotechnology in the atmosphere created a midnight-blue and cyan aurora that wavered like a sea through the starry night. Others of the team brought their rifles to bear when a flock of large birds left the tall tree tops. They followed Trevelyan quietly down the hangar bay. A tranquil atmosphere settled in the area. He activated the holographic panel build into the wall, tapped an entry code into it, and the door parted in three. They stepped into an emergency tunnel section of the building. The door closed behind them, the seams disappeared, and the door shut with a sharp metallic click.

"Where do we go from here?" John asked.

"We'll have to go to the Main Tower. A hundred klicks south," Trevelyan answered. "If we're lucky, the other team has taken down the tower's defenses. Hopefully the anti-air and anti-personnel towers as well."

"My mother's team, right?" Newt replied.

"Yes, Newt. Delta Team."

They neared the other end of the hallway. Another open area stretched before them. The team looked up at a large, crescent moon in the sky. It was close enough for them to see several craters on the surface and the planetary ring consisting of moon dust. The Commanders walked around the room, took note of everything, and returned to Trevelyan. He brushed with his gauntleted hand over a smoke-black colored wing of a ship. Every ship was smoke-black.

"Fighter-class ships," Garrus remarked.

"Yes. We call them "Ravens" because of their color," Trevelyan confirmed and nodded. He clapped the wing, stared thoughtfully at it, and snapped to the Commanders. "We can use these to fly to the Main Tower."

"You want us to fly there? We aren't pilots," Tali purred, nervous. While she couldn't deny being interested in piloting a Fighter, she know it'd end up badly if the anti-air turrets were still online. She counted the team members and the amount of Ravens. "Besides there are eleven of us and only seven Fig– Ravens."

"There's room for two on each Fighter..."

There was a long silence. No doubt the team talked to each other on private COM channels. Trevelyan read their slightest movements; a finger tapping and a slight nod. He wasn't going to force them to help him, he'd go there regardless of support. But he wouldn't have to go alone. Newt stood next to him, willing to help. They continued to talk in the background. Trevelyan snapped around to the Main Tower in the distance. While the others didn't hear it, he did. An explosion. He was trained to hear a needle fall in a sandstorm. He zoomed in with his visor as far as he could. No sight of smoke or fire. Did he relapse? No, he heard it as clear as day. He turned around to face the Commanders. It seemed they had come to a conclusion.

"We'll take the Ravens. You two scout ahead, and if those towers are still online, we go back here," Jane said.

"Sounds like a plan," he replied.

Trevelyan settled in his personal Raven, strapped his harness shut, and his Fighter came to life. The engines rumbled, and hovered steadily three meters above the ground. Three other Ravens came to life and also hovered in the air. Liara entered the secondary seat in John's Raven and buckled up. They carefully adjusted their flight path. Trevelyan sent a _ready_ signal to the others. They replied with blue acknowledgment lights. He manually dropped their velocity to seventy-five percent, except for him and Newt. The thrusters growled and launched them out of the hangar. Newt and Trevelyan flew ahead with the others falling in behind them.

The ground beneath them was but a blurry mix of green and brown with moonlight glimmering over it as they raced towards the Main Tower. So far no energy signatures detectable in the smaller towers build in small circles inside the dome. As they neared the main tower, Trevelyan noticed the other five came to a halt almost a klick behind him. He and Newt stopped, turned their Ravens, and flew back to their position. They just hovered there, looking at the tower. The team looked amazed at a city build around the tower; bridges connecting from the largest tower to much smaller ones around it.

"_This looks amazing. I'd love to study this place,_" Liara said over a public COM channel.

"Come on. We need to get to the main tower," Trevelyan replied over the COM.

"_Has the wildlife adjusted to the change in temperature inside the domes?_" She continued.

"Eighty-two percent has adjusted to it."

"_What about the other eighteen percent?_"

"They live in the oceans." Trevelyan brought up a map of the planet, showing Liara the oceans.

They advanced on the hangar bay of the Main Tower. If he had known that the towers around this place had been deactivated, he could've told Joker to take them here immediately. Still, Trevelyan couldn't have known, and set his thought aside. Turrets build on the outer wall of the city came to life, energy signatures flaring up, and aimed at the seven Ravens advancing. John made an unpleasant sound over the COM. They didn't fire. Trevelyan looked down his Raven at the turrets. They returned to their inactive state. Several possibilities ran through his head. Automated protocols took control of the seven Ravens, autopiloting them to docking stations. They helped each other out of the Fighters. The thirteen other Ravens were docked on the main tower.

"_Unidentified contacts present. Identify,_" a female voice ordered over the COM with a cold voice.

"Operative Bravo-One. Security code: Delta-One-Nine-Zulu," Trevelyan answered.

The Commanders raised their sidearms to a small silver ball hovering toward them. Trevelyan made a quick gesture with his arm at them to lower their weapons. He turned to face the ball. It's center opened, a flash of light came out of it, and took the shape of a woman. She wore a slim gown and smiled at Trevelyan.

"Trevelyan, I'm happy to see you again," she said.

"Nova." He made a slight bow before her. "Out of the millions of dresses you had information on, you picked the most simple one."

"This one suits my personality," Nova replied, waving her gown to the left. "Come. There are other people here. Perhaps you and the Commanders can help them."

"Since when do V.I. have a personality or show emotions?" Garrus whispered. The rest of the team shrugged at his question as they walked ahead.

"I am an Artificial Intelligence based on Prothean structure and processing," she answered, having heard Garrus. She walked with the team, head held high. Nova guided them down a sterile white hallway. She noticed Trevelyan stopped by a room to their left, staring into it. "Trevelyan? Are you all right? Your heartbeat is reaching critical levels."

Nova's voice lingered in the back of his head. Trevelyan brushed with his hand over the glass, wiping away the dust. He looked through a glass window at a room behind the door. It was empty. A memory filled the room; showing where a bed used to be, a desk, hand drawn paintings. His old room. Trevelyan pressed a button, the door parted in two, and he stepped in. He looked around the poorly lit room until he found a small, near-invisible square in the wall. He knelt next to it, gently tapped it, and the thin sheet of metal fell into the palm of his hand. He placed it aside, then grabbed some rolls of paper hidden in the wall. It had aged poorly; the paper yellowed and almost too fragile to unroll. And he chose not to. Trevelyan placed it back in the hole in the wall and sealed it. Too many memories. Too painful. It would serve him no purpose now. Several shadows crept into the room through the doorway. The rest of the team stood there, watching.

"This was your room?"

"Yes." He got off the ground and walked back to the rest. "Let's get to the top level. Find out if Delta Team is there."

He marched past the team, his posture rigid and unreadable. Jane leaned in the doorway and looked at the wall Trevelyan crouched by. She bit her underlip, scanned the smooth stainless steel wall for any irregularities, and finally walked up to the rest ahead. They walked into a large round room. It looked ceremonial; two stairs on each side, a beam of light build in the center, and the light arching around the room. They were surprised how much space there was. From the outside it looked a lot smaller. Nova disappeared into a small panel that flickered up on her touch.

"This way, please."

They stepped into the elevator. It was all being automated by Nova. The door closed, and the elevator moved up. The Commanders looked through the glass behind them at a large valley just outside of the city. Trevelyan paced inside the elevator, pondering why only one team returned to Arcadia when the message on the datapad was clear enough; Search and rescue of Goliath, and purge the systems for a reboot. The elevator arrived at the Command Center. There were some voices on the other side of the door. Nova's silver ball reappeared out of the terminal, a white light winking as she took shape again. Trevelyan readied his pistol, just in case.

"...I'm telling you, we can't get into that place. It's forbidden by law," a voice said. The man knelt on the ground and looked at the group walking out of the elevator. "Hostiles!"

"Hold your fire," Another voice ordered. Newt recognized her mother whose face snapped to Trevelyan. "You brought my daughter here? I told you to keep her away from this place."

"Newt is here because she chose to," he replied.

Faería nodded at her team to lower their weapons. The Commanders relaxed. They weren't outnumbered, but a fight in a room with little cover wouldn't be a great idea. It wasn't a great idea to start with. Faería gestured at Trevelyan, Newt and the Commanders to come over. The rest spread around the Command Center to help others with repairs. Most was still operational, but with limited range. It explained why Nova – the planetary A.I. – was only present in the Main Tower. Trevelyan checked the rest of the room, then brought his attention back to Faería.

"What's the current situation?" He snapped.

"Repairs are going according to plan. We'll need to call in other teams for assistance, but," Faería sighed and continued, "The communications are disabled. We'll need to reboot the systems, but we need to get to the Hidden Temple. Unfortunately, none of my team have access."

"I have access. And I'm taking this operation over." Trevelyan brought up a roster on his visor and added Delta Team to it. Faería was about to voice a protest, but squelched it. She nodded at handed the authority over to him. As Goliath's personal handpicked team, he had that privilege. Trevelyan turned to Nova. "Is Goliath in the Hidden Temple?"

"Affirmative. However, we have lost contact with them," Nova answered. A map crystallized in front of her with the Temple. "The security inside the Hidden Temple is acting without protocols. It must be destroyed before you can safely reboot the systems."

"I'll get on it." He was about to turn his back to Nova when she grabbed his arm.

"This reboot. Does that wipe my data as well?" She asked, concerned.

"No, it doesn't. Don't worry, Nova." Trevelyan snapped to the others in the Command Center. "Your priority is to restore communications. Even if it just reaches the Citadel, I want communications up." He pointed at two men of Delta Team. "Delta-Five and Delta-Nine, you two assist Nova in making a report of all the damage." He brought his head back to Faería. "We'll go in on foot to the Hidden Temple. Pick a team to go with you."

"Perhaps I can help, too," Tali added. Trevelyan nodded at her and gestured at her to begin whenever she was ready. Garrus followed her.

"We leave in an hour."

Delta Team made a crisp salute at Trevelyan. He returned the salute. He walked with Faería and Newt to the center of the room where a large holographic map of the local dome hovered in the air. John snapped his fingers at the rest of the team to help. While they weren't allies, help was always a good thing. Perhaps it could even build a bridge for them to work together in the future. The Commander jerked his head to his sister who walked up to Nova. He sighed and decided to explore the Command Center. Jane walked up the three steps to where Nova interacted with dormant technology. It was odd to see an A.I. in Citadel Space. It was forbidden to research A.I., let alone create one. Nova looked up at the Commander with a smile.

"Can I help you, Commander?" Nova asked.

"Do you mind if I ask you some questions?" She replied.

"Not at all. Please specify a subject."

"How are all these towers and domes powered?" She asked.

"All domes, defenses and towers are powered by the sun. It has been reported by two hundred and twelve Bounty Hunters as "ironic." The reason they provided was and I quote: "You use the source of the problem as the solution." Anything else, Commander?" Nova explained.

"I'd like to know more about Trevel– I mean Operative Bravo-One."

"Is there a specific reason? His file hasn't been viewed in over fifty years," Nova asked and more waves energy started to run through her holographic body.

"He's part of our team. If there is something we have to keep in mind, we need to know," Jane answered. Nova would undoubtedly stress-analyze her voice pattern, so she told the truth. Yes, Jane told the truth... just not the _whole_ truth.

"Access granted. Please note: most files are still classified," Nova replied, a small screen hovering in front of her with information on Trevelyan.

It was indeed mostly labeled as classified. The Commander tapped with her finger on the screen, scrolled down, and opened the personnel file. Jane made an unpleasant sound as she noticed even here there were classified parts. She scrolled down again until she found public information. Well, mostly public.

******[Viewer: Commander Shepard, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Branch]**  
**[Clearance Level: Security-X3]**  
**/Recovered Data: 100%**

**Subject:** Operative Bravo-One.  
**Full name: **Trevelyan, **[Classified]  
Homeworld: **Earth.  
**Date of Birth: [Classified]**, 2051 CE.  
**Gender: **Male.  
**Height: **210 cm.  
**Eye color: **Brown. (Crystal-Silver after augmentations)

**Military Information:**  
**Identification Number: [Classified]  
Project Group: [Classified]  
Branch: [Classified]  
Group: **Anti-Reaper Warfare Command, Spectre Countermeasure, Bravo Team.  
**Battles Fought: **Spectre Conflict, Sovereign Battle, First Contact War, Skyllian Blitz.  
**[Classified]: [Classified]  
Years Active: **2071 CE – 2183 CE.  
**Status: [Classified]  
[X9-Level clearance required to view further information]**

The Commander gritted her teeth, bit her underlip in frustration, and closed the screen. Too much information listed as classified to even gather information. Still, whatever they did to Trevelyan must've been successful as he was now over a hundred years old, and looked like was in his late twenties. Nova stared at Jane. Symbols ran through her holographic body, multiprocessing. She looked at the hologram for a moment until Nova returned to her former state of processing. The small screen flickered off.

"Is there anything else, Commander?"

"What augmentations did he undergo? And why is he searching the Galaxy for someone else?"

"I cannot answer your question regarding the augmentations." Nova searched through all reported logs. "However, there is one log regarding Operative Alpha-One and Bravo-One. Opening: In an attempt at a normal life, Operative Bravo-One returned to Earth to locate his family. According to his report, Operative Alpha-One killed all his family members."

"So that's why he wants to find him," Jane muttered. She couldn't blame Trevelyan for wanting revenge. If someone were to kill hers, she'd hunt them down as well.

"All right. We're heading out," Trevelyan said. "Faería, Newt, and I will find out what's going on at the Hidden Temple. We'll reboot the system once it's cleared."

"Can I come?" Jane asked quickly.

"All right."

The four of them entered the elevator again. Tali had managed to restore some protocols so Nova wouldn't have to activate the elevator for them. It raced down to the ground level. Trevelyan ran a scan through the building. Faería looked at the Commander, then Newt, and noticed the broken nightingale pendant around her daughter's neck. Her armored glove reached for the insignia and brushed over it.

"Where did you get this?" She asked.

"Trevelyan gave it to me," Newt answered. Faería's helmet snapped to Trevelyan who busily ran several scans of the building.

"Where did you get this?" She asked again. Newt looked at her mother, then Trevelyan.

"It was given to me by your great-grandmother. For save keeping," he answered. "I decided to give it to Newt."

Faería's lips were razor-thin as she glared at him. It was never in his right to simply "gift" it to someone else. Unless... No, he had no right. The walls around the elevator turned from glass to metal as it went down to the lowest level. There was another reason he chose to go in on foot, one thing he didn't disclose to them. There was a place he promised to go in the event he would ever return to Arcadia. It was on the direct path to the Hidden Temple, a place disclosed only to Goliath and eight others. The place where he and the others forged a friendship that brought them close. The elevator door opened, and they stepped into a dark hall. Helmet lights flickered automatically on. Trevelyan snapped on the COM.

"Nova, do you have access to this section of the Main Tower?" He asked. There was nothing but static on the COM.

"Restarting the planetary systems will reactivate the buildings," Faería replied.

He growled at that. He hated the dark. For a moment, Trevelyan humored the thought that Goliath couldn't remove emotions no matter how hard they tried. Perhaps there was still some Human left. They walked through the hall and reached the entrance, and stepped out into the city. Nature had crept over the walls into the city, grass and roots spreading around the ruins. He dropped a NAV marker at the Hidden Temple. Jane furrowed her brow at the coordinates. It was underground.


	20. HIdden for a Reason

**Hidden for a Reason  
**

* * *

Newt had trouble keeping up with the rest. Even after the hard training sessions with Trevelyan she wasn't a fully-fledged fighter yet. He told her not to worry about it, and use Arcadia as a training ground to learn as they made their way to the Hidden Temple. She adjusted her posture, grabbed another rock, and continued her climb up the mountain side. Trevelyan reached the top and knelt down to offer his hand to Newt. She reached out to grab his hand, and he pulled her up to the top. After everyone reached the top, Trevelyan pointed at breathtaking scenery to their left. Trees overlooking a natural garden of flowers and marble white tree build in the center. It was perfectly placed so that a beam of moonlight connected with the marble tree. Faería noticed they were going in the wrong direction, but didn't care. She wanted to see it up close. So did the Commander. They made their way down a path and closer toward the area.

"What is this place?" Newt asked in awe. She activated her Omni-Tool and made some pictures of the place.

"A memorial," Trevelyan replied.

"For who?"

He answered with silence and pointed at an inscription written on the marble tree. Faería knelt in front of it, brushed with her armored glove over it, and removed some leaves and roots covering the tree. Her heart skipped a few beats as she read the contents. All these years she had told herself that Trevelyan was wrong. But he wasn't. Newt knelt next to her mother and looked at the contents as well. She recognized the last name written on the tree. It was hers. Newt looked over her shoulder at Trevelyan, then to the Commander who looked somber and had her head lowered out of respect, and back to her mother.

_Amber Jorden  
2051 – 2078  
I hate to leave you all behind, but we'll meet again one day._

Faería felt like she did her family a great disservice for never coming here. She hugged Newt with her left arm, but her right hand unconsciously clenched into a fist. She wanted to know how it happened. No, she _had_ to know it. Before Faería could speak she and Newt stepped back as Trevelyan walked up to the tree. He knelt in front of the tree, opened a port in his armor, and grabbed three well-preserved Ghost Orchids from it. The flowers Amber adored – the ones she loved. He placed them one by one at the tree. There was a moment of silence as he said a prayer in his head. It wasn't until now Faería understood why her great-grandmother had given the pendant to him. They were brother and sister. Maybe not by blood, but so close they considered each other true family. His gauntleted fingers brushed over the text and he got up. Faería wanted to speak, but couldn't . . . didn't want to. Newt held her hands as she stared at Trevelyan walking up to them. While he was a master at hiding emotions, Newt thought for a moment she could feel them nonetheless through the impassive shield he carried.

"Let's go to the Hidden Temple," said Trevelyan.

"Yeah..."

Faería took one last look at the place, made a promise to look after it once all of this was done, and left after giving her great-grandmother's memorial place a final nod. It was the least she could do. The Commander walked next to Trevelyan, silently staring at him. He chose to ignore Jane's questioning glare burning on his side, and continued toward the Hidden Temple. They walked for another hour, having progressed over some ruins and rocky formations. He could see the temple entrance and made the final run for it, followed by the others. Newt was the first to reach Trevelyan who stared into the pitch-black darkness of the entrance. He remembered what Goliath told him; "your weapons, you do not need them." Trevelyan knew he couldn't leave them out in the open and handed them to Newt. She placed the other pistol on her hip, and shouldered the sniper. Faería adhered Goliath's law and stayed outside with Newt and the Commander.

"Be careful down there," Jane said, concerned. Alone and unarmed? Even her brother wasn't crazy enough to do so.

Trevelyan replied with a single nod, looked back at the entrance, and set foot inside the darkness. He had to set his fear for the darkness aside. Goliath tried to teach him that, but failed. Trevelyan continued on, relying on his senses. Even with his intense training and augmentations, his skills were put to the test inside. Was that the purpose of the Hidden Temple? His hands brushed over the walls, followed them, and reached another corridor. He noticed something disrupted communications with the outside world. Trevelyan neared the other end and could spot a faint light ahead from another room. He made a run for it and entered the room. It was oddly build; pillars supporting the ceiling above them and a Prothean relic in the center. It looked similar to that of the Prothean Beacon from Eden Prime, but far more larger. He brought his eyes back to blue orbs in the background and approached them. Three people were trapped inside of them.

"Goliath? Are you unharmed?" He asked, and disabled the security systems.

"Trevelyan, you shouldn't have come here."

"Indeed, you should not have," another voice said. It sounded familiar, as if he heard his own voice.

Trevelyan turned toward the sound to face this person. The blood retreated from his face as he looked at an exact copy of himself. It _was_ him. The doppelganger circled around Trevelyan, assessing him. He turned around to face the other again. They were even the same height. How was this possible? More questions began to fill his mind. Trevelyan risked a peek at Goliath recovering in the back, then snapped to the copy.

"What are you?" Trevelyan demanded.

"I am made of your DNA to guard this place. I will not allow you to reboot the system," it replied.

"You dishonor my bloodline," he growled and took up a fighting stance. "I will not be stopped by my own family."

"I may be made of your DNA, but we are not family."

"Then I will not mourn your defeat."

The clone took up the same fighting stance, locked on Trevelyan, and stepped to his right. Trevelyan also stepped to his right. They walked in circles, waiting for the other to strike. The copy was unarmed, too – which was a blessing. But if it knew all his movements and tricks, he'd have a problem to beat _himself_. He stopped moving. Their fists connected, stayed in position, and their free arms moved toward each other. Trevelyan blocked the incoming swing and tried to retaliate, but it was countered by his own technique. The clone followed with a haymaker. Trevelyan's own impeccable timing deflected each incoming swing and he managed to land a punch on the clone's face. However, his clone replied with a headbutt. Trevelyan staggered back against a pillar. He couldn't win by using his own techniques. He'd need to change his strategy. Trevelyan made an unpleasant sigh as he considered fighting like the person he swore to kill. He didn't have a choice. He had to. Trevelyan leaped towards the clone, leaned back to dodge an incoming swing, and his elbow connected with the clone's side. It reached for its side, looking at the dent in its armor. The clone looked back up to Trevelyan who charged up to him. It couldn't react fast enough. He literally slammed the clone through the pillar. Trevelyan then grabbed it by its leg, swung the clone's head against the other pillar around him as he spun around, and threw it against the wall. The clone struggled up to its feet, raised its fists, and swung back at Trevelyan. The punches hit nothing but air as Trevelyan moved so fast that he held the clone's neck before it even finished its last punch.

"Stop, please!" The clone pleaded. Blood started to leak through the cracks around its neck where Trevelyan held him.

"You made your choice," Trevelyan replied with a voice cold enough to freeze helium.

His grip tightened around the clone's neck, the metal bending into the skin. The clone's limbs hung motionlessly next to its body. Trevelyan twisted the clone's neck until it made a metallic crackling sound and dropped the body on the ground. Other footsteps echoed through the pitch-black hallway, followed by several beams of light. Faería and Jane stormed in, weapons raised. They looked at the clone lying on the ground, then to Trevelyan. Faería aimed her assault rifle at Trevelyan in front of her, arms shaking. He simply held his hands in front of him and shook his head.

"Stand down, Delta Leader," a female voice ordered.

"Stay back, Asari. I need to know if this is truly Trevelyan," Faería replied in a threatening tone. She aimed at the Asari, then to Trevelyan. "Identify!"

Newt walked in and jumped at the sight of the dead body that looked like her mentor. She stared at it, then brought her eyes to a person looking identical to the dead one. Judging from the feeling she got from the person, Newt knew it was Trevelyan who was alive. Faería and Jane looked at the Asari who had the same facial markings as Councilor Tevos. But it couldn't be her. Trevelyan knelt next to the dead body, removed the bashed in helmet, and showed them a mangled robotic face. Faería's arms started to shake even worse, and the assault rifle fell out of her hands. She looked passed Trevelyan at Goliath. He barely managed to step in front of Faería when she jumped toward them.

"Your experiments are sickening! Who gave you the right to play God?!" She yelled at the Asari who avoided eye contact. Faería brought her cold glare back to Trevelyan and freed herself from his grip, and grabbed her rifle from the ground.

"Faería, they didn't have a choice. They did what they had to do," said Trevelyan. She slowly shifted her head to him.

"No choice? Just doing what their told? Just following orders? Who the fuck does that sound like, Trevelyan? I'll tell you one thing though – Goliath's experiments succeeded in you. You might as well be a fucking machine, because you sure as Hell ain't no Human being anymore. I mean you never were much good to begin with but Jesus Christ – look at you now!" Fearía shot back in anger. She raised her hand and pointed a finger at him. "Whose face are you wearing under that helmet these days, Trevelyan? Do you even have a face anymore?"

"We all had to make sacrifices," he snapped back at her coolly.

"You had a choice. Everyone has a choice!"

"I truthfully answered everything you wanted to know," Trevelyan barked as he looked at Faería grabbing something off her armor.

"Remember this?" She asked and threw the object at him. He snatched it out of the air, looked at a picture of his family, and back at Faería. "Your family died because you were just "following orders" because you had "no choice." Just like Goliath."

"Faería, I..."

"No. You go fight your own battles. Like always." Faería marched past the Commander who moved out of the way. Newt looked at her mother.

"Mother, wait!"

"No, Newt. She's right. Let her go." Trevelyan looked at the picture of his family as he said that.

He removed the picture from his sight and placed it in his armor. He proceeded to take off his helmet, stared at his reflection in the visor, and kicked it into the dark hallway. He screamed in anger as he collapsed through his knees. Did he have a choice? Was it his fault his family died? He didn't want to think about that, but the questions and emotions raced through his mind. He had never experienced such overwhelming emotions. Trevelyan looked at a hand being offered, then to the owner. He took Newt's hand and she helped him up. There was another hand, one on his shoulder. The Commander stared compassionately at him, gently squeezing his shoulder.

"Trevelyan, I'm sorry about all this. We should've told you–"

"I don't want to hear the reason," he cut in before Goliath could finish her sentence. The other two Asari avoided eye contact from Trevelyan cold silver eyes.

"I came here to help. And in return I want this place up and running to fight against Sovereign," he continued.

"We initiated the reboot. All we have to do is return to the Main Tower and initiate the final command," Goliath replied. "We'll assist in every way possible to prevent the Reaper War."

Trevelyan walked behind them out of the Hidden Temple. He couldn't find his helmet on the way out. It probably rolled down another corridor. It didn't matter, he wanted to leave this life behind. Faería was also gone. Though Trevelyan knew where she headed. The Memorial. He strayed from the path to it, searching for her. He pushed through some leaves and arrived at the Memorial statue. Faería looked at the marble tree, unmoving. Her armor littered the place, as if she removed it piece by piece with each step she had taken. He walked up to her. Faería jerked her toward footsteps on the leaves and faced Trevelyan. He didn't look happy, nor angry.

"I'm sorry," she excused.

"Don't be."

"All these years I told myself you were wrong – that Amber was still alive. You know, this whole ordeal has made me realize something I didn't expect." She looked into his eyes. "It helped me better understand your choices." She noticed Trevelyan listened intently. "I always thought I had a sense of how you felt at the time, Trevelyan. Alone with no family or love. Now I realize I wasn't even close."

"You still have Newt. Your daughter," Trevelyan replied.

"Who... who murdered her?" She asked.

"Michael did. He also killed my family. I cannot explain why he did it."

"I never wanted this kind of justice before. But since what happened, it's all I think about," she continued. "Is it worth it, Trevelyan? There has to be some relief."

"There's not. If you embark on a quest for revenge, you better dig two graves. I won't let two more graves add up to that for you and Newt. I'll do it, for I have nothing to lose in this Galaxy," he promised.

"Do me a favor, Trevelyan. Get Michael. Amber wouldn't have wanted to see the Reaper War break out because he joined Sovereign. And if we let that happen, she dies in vain."

Trevelyan nodded. Faería handed him a familiar object: his helmet. She gave him a tight hug. Faería didn't want there to be any bad blood between them. They have been friends for far too long to let something happen. Seeing her daughter, Newt, on Arcadia was something she would never forget. She opened her eyes and looked at Goliath, the Commander and Newt standing a few feet away from them. They both turned around to them. Trevelyan placed his helmet back on and his status flickered green. The group made their way back to the Main Tower.

Nova flickered up and greeted them by the garage level. The planetary systems had been rebooted to system start, ready to restart all operations. The A.I. looked concerned at Trevelyan as she scanned him. His usual biosigns were the complete opposite; chaotic and imbalanced. They took the elevator up to the Command Center. Inside, Jane's brother was absent along with two other teammates. The Commander marched up to Garrus who sat in a chair.

"Garrus, where's my brother?" She asked.

"He, Ashley and Kaidan returned to the _SSV Normandy_. They are on a mission to search for Admiral Kahoku who went MIA, and something about an Alliance Black Ops grouped called Cerberus," Garrus explained. "They'll be back in a short time, Commander."

John, always on the move. The Commander jerked her head toward the sound of the crackling COM. The screen flickered up with some static. Trevelyan had himself settled by the controls and opened a transmission. He removed his helmet, placed it aside, and went with his gauntleted fingers through his hair. The Commander's team look surprised at the Bounty Hunter's face. Even Delta Team couldn't hide their surprise. Trevelyan tapped in several authorization codes. The screen split in two, then again, and again until the Command Center filled with a circle of twenty screens. Each screen snapped to a different view, showing several Bounty Hunters. Fifteen of them saluted Trevelyan, and he returned the gesture. Five others, who bore the same armor, brought their hand to their left breastplate and nodded.

"Listen to me. We've always known the Reapers would return. To finish what it started: To continue the Cycle," Trevelyan told them. "That's why I am calling upon all of you. There are only a few of us, who know about the Reaper's true power, who have the strength to fight the coming war."

The Bounty Hunters on the screens listened patiently. Back in the Command Center, the Commander and the rest of her team noticed a small screen in the back detecting several FTL signatures. Five ships left FTL, cut through the dense atmosphere, and appeared just a few hundred kilometers away from the Main Tower. Then more FTL signatures appeared, and again more. Ships of unknown classes and a few dozen smaller ships. Dreadnought-Class ships left the five Flagships.

"I'm not going to lie to you. We'll need to prepare to defend the Galaxy and it might takes us months or years, but we have to." Trevelyan stepped to the right and looked at each person on the screens. "If we fail. Everything we know. Everything the Galaxy has ever known will be gone. Forever."

"_We've got your back. If only Goliath told us about it, we could've helped sooner,_" one of them said.

"_You got my support as well._"

"_And mine._"

The other men quickly followed. The screens snapped off, and Nova kept watch for any more FTL signatures. Trevelyan looked through the window at the five flagships hovering the distance.

"That counts for all the most influential and powerful teams out there," Goliath remarked, pleased. "Before you go, there's something we want to give you. A gift."

"A gift?" Trevelyan asked.

Goliath snapped her fingers at three men of Delta Team. Jane looked puzzled at the three Asari. Which one of them was Goliath, and what were their real names? The men brought a set of armor into the room.

"Your lifesupport suit isn't as protective as this one. We rebuild your old armor," she explained.

"I thought my old armor was lost a century ago," Trevelyan remembered as he brushed over the chestplate. His old armor; painted silver with midnight blue highlights on the reinforced padding. On the back, the suit bore a pattern of two light blue glowing lines which began at the upper thighs and connected at the nape. Similar lines were also featured on the front side, specifically the upper arms and chest; designed to improve agility of the user. "I... I'll have to get used to wearing it again. I've been wearing the lifesupport suit for over a century."

"I trust you will get used to it again. Don't worry," the Asari replied, winking at him.

"_Commander, we are back. I trust you know John left to investigate what happened to Admiral Kahoku and Cerberus?_" Joker hailed over the COM.

"I know. Give me an update," Jane ordered. There was a short pause over the COM.

"_Admiral Kahoku died when Cerbarus caught him. We destroyed their bases,_" he replied.

"Roger that. Land at the Main Tower," the Commander snapped.

The _SSV Normandy_ appeared in the horizon, moved to a tower next to them, and docked. Jane turned around and looked at one of the Asari standing in front of her. It was the one with the same facial markings as Councilor Tevos. She held her hand out. Jane took it, shook it, and furrowed her brow curiously.

"We'll assist in any means necessary to stop Sovereign, but we'll need some time to get back up to speed. We trust you, Commander, and you are welcome to come by whenever you want."

"May I ask your name?" The Commander replied.

"Vaela Tevos, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."

"You're a Spectre?" Jane asked, at a loss for words.

"Yes. We didn't see eye-to-eye with the Council on giving the Spectres free rein to act as they see fit. So we designed a countermeasure. You've met one: Trevelyan," Vaela explained. "He's one of the original eight we picked and trained from birth to fight and kill Spectres. But then Sovereign became interested in us, and wanted to enslave us into its will."

"That explains a lot. But how come he still lives after a century and looks like he is in his late twenties?" Jane inquired. "Does it have something to do with the augmentations?"

"Yes, the augmentations almost completely halted the aging process. His skeleton is weaved with the augmentations. So are his muscles. There is a third party of nanites in his bloodstream that replace several functions," Vaela continued. "I know for a fact Trevelyan is trying to find a way to remove the augmentations, but removing it could kill him in the process."

"I see," the Commander sighed. "One last thing. On Feros... he used a tech ability of white energy."

"The augmentations allow him to manipulate pure energy. Others became fluent in raw biotics."

"Others?"

"I prefer not to talk about them, Commander."

Jane nodded at Vaela, understanding. She looked back at Faería, Newt and Trevelyan talk by the window. Faería went affectionately through Newt's hair, gave her a kiss on the forehead, and let her leave with Trevelyan. She watched her daughter depart with Trevelyan and the others, knowing she's in good hands.


	21. Continued Search

**Continued Search  
**

* * *

Trevelyan looked through the window at the artificial tunnel around the _SSV Normandy_ and walked back to his desk. He looked at Newt peacefully sleeping and dragged his eyes to the three suits of armor; two of his, and Newt's. He brought her suit online. The suit's full functionality hadn't been unlocked yet, and he removed the safety seals. Trevelyan rebooted her suit, allowing a complete reinstart. His glowing deep blue Omni-Tool lit up around his wrist and a screen crystallized above it; strands of data running down. The suit's energy signatures fluctuated, dropped, and stayed steady at perfect levels. A subtle shift in the ship's gravity ran through his spine. Trevelyan looked over his shoulder at the window and the various shades of light pink nebula surrounding the Citadel. They were about to make their resupply run. He directed his attention back to the suit and continued reconfiguring its settings. After scrolling through the data for any missed points of interest on his Omni-Tool, Trevelyan ran a final diagnosis scan, and deactivated the suit. He checked up on Newt, then walked to his own armor. Trevelyan unconsciously geared up in his lifesupport suit. It felt too natural on him. He let her sleep and headed for the elevator, taking it up to the Mess Hall. Trevelyan walked around the corner and bumped into the Commander.

"Sorry, Commander. I thought everyone was asleep," said Trevelyan.

"They are. I received a message with top priority clearance," Jane told him. "Want to join me in the COM Room?"

"If it's top clearance, are you sure I should be present?" He followed.

"Whoever it is, I doubt they mind."

He didn't see a problem and nodded at the Commander. They walked up the stairs to the CIC and into the COM Room. She tapped some codes into the holographic panel build into terminal of the room and waited for a response. Trevelyan stood next to her, piqued who would contact them at this late hour. He cupped his hand on his helmet where his chin would be – he didn't even realize he did. Three holograms flickered up: The Citadel Council. For Jane it was really weird to speak to the Asari Councilor after speaking to someone of her family who fought against the Spectres. The Commander snapped a salute of out respect. Trevelyan stayed his words, made a slight nod at the Councilors, and waited.

"Spectre, Operative Bravo-One," Councilor Tevos greeted. "We apologize to call you in at this late hour, but we have found information that may be critical to your mission against Saren."

"It's no trouble at all, Councilor. We'll take all the help we can get," Jane replied.

"We've received an urgent message from one of our infiltration regiments in the Traverse," Councilor Valern explained.

"Sounds like spies to me, though, that's what Salarian STG are," Trevelyan remarked. The Commander nodded at him and looked back at the Councilors.

"Spectres tend to attract attention, Commander. But they are only one arm of the Council. Special Task Groups are often a better option for monitoring developing situations," Tevos replied. Trevelyan didn't reply as he agreed with her, but simply voiced his opinion on it.

"We currently have several infiltration units scattered throughout the border regions of Citadel Space. This particular unit was gathering intel on Saren," Councilor Valern continued. Jane's eyes glimmered with an interested spark.

"What did they find?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, the message we received was little more than static. The infiltration team must be in a situation where they can't set up proper interstellar communications. But the message was sent on a channel reserved for mission-critical communications," Valern started and paused to catch his breath. "Whatever they were trying to tell us, we know it was important. Considering your interest in Saren, we thought you might want to investigate this. Find out what happened to our team. The signal originated from the planet Virmire."

"We'll look into it after resupplying at the Citadel," Jane replied.

"The Council prefers not to become involved in the specifics of Spectre activities. We only want you to be aware of all your options, including Virmire. Good luck, Commander. We will keep you advised if we learn anything else," Tevos said.

The Commander saluted them, and Trevelyan replied with a single nod. The COM snapped off, and the holograms disappeared. There was a moment of silence when they processed the newly acquired information. The Commander looked up with renewed energy after receiving a new lead, stared thoughtfully in front of her, nodded with a smile, and looked at Trevelyan. She just realized that Councilor Tevos called him by his Operative call-sign. Not his name. Jane brought her full attention to him, almost voiced her question, but squelched it at the very last second. They were in the COM Room – she'd rather ask him about his past in private. The Commander walked with him out of the room and back into the CIC. John greeted them by the Galaxy Charts. He had a tired smile on his face and rested his elbow on the balustrade.

"What are you two doing up so late? A romantic walk around the ship?" John joked.

"No," she replied coldly. "We just talked with the Citadel Council. They have sent us another lead: Virmire. They lost contact with one of their Salarian STG teams there. The team was responsible for investigating Saren."

"Sounds interesting," John remarked, glad to hear there was another lead. "We'll go there after resupplying at the Citadel."

"We just arrived at the Citadel. Let's resupply now, and the team can rest while the Alliance soldiers aboard go shopping," she suggested.

The Commander looked at her brother, then to Trevelyan. They both nodded at her plan. The faster they were out of here, the better. Several Alliance soldier assigned to the _SSV Normandy_ left the ship with a list of items to resupply. John snapped his head to Joker who carefully walked down the CIC – without his crutches. One of these days he would break a limb for his recklessness. He shook his head and walked up to Joker to assist him. The Commander looked at Trevelyan and waved at him to walk with her. While he actually wanted to sit down and recover from the emotional drainage on Arcadia, he decided to go with her. She walked down to the Mess Hall with him following her. Williams and Kaidan sat by the table, nodded at the Commander, and returned to their game of chess. Seems he wasn't the only one awake. Jane walked into the room and closed the door behind them. Trevelyan sat down in an unoccupied chair while the Commander sat down in another. He removed his helmet and placed it next to him.

"I need to tell you something," Jane started. She noticed he silently waited, and she continued, "Did you really not hear?"

"You mean the "I do not!"? Yes, I did hear that," Trevelyan answered, noticing she avoided eye contact after he said it. "It sounded very genuine, so I didn't inquire about it."

"Well, I said that because my brother loves to _tease_ me about this kind of stuff," Jane replied. She looked at him with great interest and passion. "I do feel... drawn to you, but how do you feel about me?"

Trevelyan barely managed to keep his face from turning pale. He never thought about that. Well, not consciously. But it was strange, the way she made him feel. There were several moments he felt _drawn to her_, in Jane's words. He went his with gauntleted fingers through his hair, in deep thought on what to say – he didn't know how to voice his words – and continued thinking. Trevelyan could sense Jane was getting anxious after the two minute silence. He could tell her how he felt. But then what? The last time he reached out to the people he cared for, they died. He had no absolute certainty history wouldn't repeat itself. Jane tried to read Trevelyan as his eyes looked around him, thinking. He rubbed his forehead and looked up at the Commander after making up his mind.

"I do feel the same, but..." Trevelyan had some trouble telling her the rest.

"You're afraid the past will repeat itself. Your family, the people you care about, dying," Jane finished.

"Yeah," he said, nodding.

"If you want to talk to someone, I'm here," she replied with a gentle voice.

"Don't worry about that. I wouldn't want to bore you with something that happened over a century ago. Besides, after I get Michael, I can close that chapter. Then I can focus on... well... us," said Trevelyan, oddly uncomfortable. He has to open himself up – and he hasn't done that for far too long. Something to get used to again.

"Well," Jane began as she got out of her seat. She grabbed his hands, slowly pulling him out of the chair. "How's this for our first step together?"

She stood on her toes with her arms wrapped around his neck. Her emerald eyes sparkled in the light as she leaned and pressed her lips against his. There was a soft whistle that echoed through the Captain's Quarters when the door whispered open. They snapped their heads to John who leaned in the doorway, geared up. He carried a _I-didn't-mean-to-interrupt_ look on his face and stepped into the room. Jane went with both her hands through her red hair, her cheeks blushing red. Trevelyan placed his helmet back on, a familiar hissing sound as it sealed. Both of them looked back at John whose eyes looked back and forth between the two with a smile on his face.

"When will you ever learn to knock on someone's door?" Jane snapped.

"Hey. I didn't expect to walk in on two people kissing, but I'm happy for you two," John said. He noticed his sister stared at him with a cold glare. "I am! Anyway, we need to talk to this reporter, a Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani. She wants an interview."

"All right, let's do this interview," she sighed. The Commander looked at her brother and whispered, "And thanks."

"No problem. I'm really happy for you two," John said again as he smiled at Jane. He turned around to Trevelyan, his eyes glimmering curious. "So, was it good?"

"Come on!"

Jane pulled her brother with her to the stairs. Trevelyan looked around him at several Alliance soldiers refilling the food cabinets. They didn't seem to require any assistance. Why would they need help with refilling the food cabinets? He forced the question out of his head as he made his way back to the elevator, pressed the button on the panel build into the side, and took it down to Deck Twelve. They were getting closer to Saren again – and for Trevelyan that meant closer to Operative Alpha-One. A cold feeling turned his stomach upside down as he thought about his former friend. The metal door slid up. Trevelyan walked in and looked around him to find Newt. She wasn't there. He activated his visor scan, looked around the room, and met with Newt's suit standing motionless next to his old suit. He chuckled and approached it, and tapped his finger on the helmet.

"You need to deactivate your suit's energy signatures if you want to use stealth like that," he said.

"Crap. I thought I did." Newt shook her head as she unlocked her armor. "I noticed my armor has more functions available; thrusters and wrist-mounted weapons. I also noticed something very weird during my last meditation."

"What do you mean?"

Newt gestured at him to walk with her. He observed her as she raised her arm and focused on it. The muscles in her fingers stressed, then relaxed. Trevelyan dragged his gaze to her fingers, then shifted his head toward it. There were biotic signatures present. Newt clenched her hand into a fist, opened it, and a small biotic throw hit the desk. He tried to wrap his head around this. She had no biotic implants, yet she just used biotics. Trevelyan searched his memories until he reached the ones from the augmentations. The answer was there. It allowed their dominant factors to carry over to their children, but even then, it would only be in a one to a thousand chance that it would occur.

"That are raw biotics..." Trevelyan told her. "You carry a genetic dominant factor from Amber."

"Can you train me in this?" She asked.

"No, I cannot. I'm specialized in pure energy. You'd need to go to Arcadia and receive training from Vaela," he answered.

"Right! I've been meaning to ask about that. What's the difference between the powers Goliath taught you and the standard implants for tech abilities and biotics?" Newt asked.

"We are not limited to the implants and–"

"You guys got to see this!" Garrus cut in as he and the others ran out of the elevator.

"What?" Both of them asked.

"The Commanders just finished their interview," Tali answered.

She ran up to one of the terminals, tapped in a code, and a large screen flickered up on the center of Deck Twelve. The rest of the team gathered around it. They thoughtfully watched the reporter wait by the elevator in the C-Sec Academy. The elevator arrived, and both Commanders walked out of it. The small robot camera hovered a few feet in the air and shifted to the Commanders.

"Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News," the reporter greeted. "Would you two answer a few questions for our viewers?"

"So long as you understand that we may not be able to answer all questions," John stated.

"You two have been given a unique position to represent our race. People want to get a sense of how you two will do that," Khalisah explained. They both nodded, though, John didn't look too happy about it. The camera robot created some lighting to get a better view of both Commanders.

"Humans have been trying to get the respect of the Galactic community for 26 years. With that in mind, what are your thoughts on being the First Human Spectres?"

"Spectres represent the best of every species in the Galaxy. To be asked to join them is an honor," Jane told her.

"Some have said your appointment is the Council "throwing Humans a bone." Have you encountered any situations where the Council asked you to place its need before Earth?"

"The Council is concerned with the needs of the whole Galactic community. We're part of the community now. Our needs are on their agenda, but we're one of many."

"You really believe that, don't you?" Khalisah asked. The Commanders replied with a simple nod. The reporter scrolled through her list of questions. "You've been given command of an advanced Human warship for your missions. Is there anything you'd like to say about it?"

"Actually, the Normandy was co-developed by Human and Turian engineers. It's design incorporates many innovations. All of which are classified, I'm afraid," Jane said.

"So the Turians have knowledge of the Normandy that is being kept secret from the Alliance public? Do you think it was appropriate to hand Earth's most advanced warship over to the Citadel?"

"Ms. "Reporter", I wear the Alliance uniform. And if you think any other than me says where the Normandy can go, you're sadly mistaken," John growled.

"I meant no offense, Commander. I'm sure you have to follow the orders of your superiors. Of course, now your superiors are aliens," the reporter shot back. She noticed she got on John's nerves with her words. "In your opinion, Commander, who should be held responsible for the failure of the colony on Feros?"

"ExoGeni Corp settled Feros knowing full well the danger it posed to the colonists. You could say they were banking for it," he replied.

"If memory serves, ExoGeni mainly invests in worlds where Alien artifacts might be uncovered. Speaking of recent events, did the Council order you to sabotage Human research concern on Noveria?"

"The Council had nothing to do with it. There was an accident at Binary Helix Labs. In the interest of protecting the company's confidentiality, I can't say more," Jane cut in before her brother could.

"That's a surprising revelation, Commander. We've had nothing but stonewalling from Binary Helix." Al-Jilani went through her Omni-Tool again. They started to wonder when she was ever going to run out of _questions_ to ask. "Given your experience, do you two think Humanity will ever get the respect it deserves from the Galactic community?"

"Respect's a funny thing. People always assume they deserve it. Truth is, respect is earned. And I firmly believe we can earn it," Jane answered.

"You're an idealist, Commander. But a sincere one. I hope you're right. One last question, Commanders. Rumors back home say you're tracking down a "rogue Spectre" named Saren Arterius. Do you have any statement on that?"

"I've had enough of your snide insinuations," John replied with a voice cold enough to render stasis useless.

The reporter unconsciously took a step back when the Commander approached her. She had no idea what he would do and multiple possibilities started to run through her head. The next moment his fist connected with her jaw, and she dropped on the ground. Some C-Sec guards around the room looked at her, took some pictures, and returned to their former duties. John walked back, shaking his head at his sister. The robot camera took a close up of Jane as she stared into the camera.

"We can neither confirm nor deny that," she said, ending the interview.

"You son of a bitch!" Khalisah barked. She got off the floor with a cold glare. "I'll make sure everyone in the Alliance sees that. Your careers are over."

"That was beautiful," Wrex remarked when the screen turned black.

"You should've seen it live," John said.

The team snapped around the Commanders standing by the desk. Tali deactivated the screen behind them unnoticed. Ashley and Wrex both shook their heads at John for his bold punch. But nobody could deny it was priceless sight to behold – even if it only lasted five seconds. Jane stepped forward and looked at everyone.

"Get some rest. We are going to Virmire," she ordered them.

Williams, Alenko and Jenkins snapped the Commanders a salute before leaving. Garrus and Tali followed, then Wrex and Liara. John ran after her, barely managed to get into the elevator, and smiled at Liara. The Commander looked at her brother and then to Trevelyan who pressed several commands into a terminal. Some holographic soldiers materialized. Newt took up a fighting stance. She looked at Trevelyan and nodded at him to begin the training session.

"Since you've managed to artfully learn about the use of weaponry, we'll do some hand-to-hand combat this session," he explained.

"Are there teams or is it free for all?"

"I'd say you could think of it as free for all. It learns from your behavior, so keep that in mind."

She waved his warning away, focused back on the eight others around her, and gave him a final nod. Trevelyan tapped in the final button. The hostiles sprung to life, engaging Newt and each other. He shifted his attention to the Commander who observed Newt from a _safe_ distance. She tapped her finger on her chin as she muttered some what she would do while watching Newt. Trevelyan joined her. She nodded at herself when Newt ducked down to avoid a swing, hit the target on the knee, and toppled it down.

"I'm surprised you managed to keep cool during that interview, Jane."

"I did want to punch her. Don't get me wrong, but she wasn't worth it," she replied. "Anyway, I'm getting some rest. Don't push Newt too hard, okay?"

"Don't worry. I won't," Trevelyan reassured. "Goodnight."

Beyond the window, the nebula surrounding the Citadel disappeared until it became a distant cloud. He looked back at Newt who managed to keep up with the eight hostiles. His finger tapped in a button, and the hostiles came to a halt.

"All right, that's enough," Trevelyan's voice called out to her, stopping the match. Newt winced as she lay kneeling, her left shoulder numb and her right side burning with pain. She was fairly sure she'd be exhausted for a while. Then again, this had proved to be good training; she'd been shown her weaknesses against attacks from many directions, and now Newt had an idea of what she had to work on to fix those openings.


	22. One Last Lead

**One Last Lead  
**

* * *

The alarm rang through the halls of the _SSV Normandy_, followed by yellow lights flickering over the smooth metal finish on the walls. The team snapped into action. They geared up in no less than two minutes, stood in formation, and waited in the Cargo Hold. All of them were ready to investigate this one final lead. The Commanders walked in a brisk pace out of the elevator and toward their team. They saluted or nodded at them. The air in the hold felt heavy – tense. They all sensed it; there was something on Virmire. John snapped his fingers to team, gathering everyone's attention.

"Listen up. We'll take the Mako and proceed toward the STG coordinates," John told them. "Scans indicate higher ground, and I want a small team give us assistance from there."

"Permission to lead that team," Trevelyan cut in.

"Granted. Pick a team to go with you," John replied.

Trevelyan wouldn't – he didn't – need a team. In these kind of operations, he worked best alone. Although he and his friends were always trained to work in small groups by Goliath, two or four men, Trevelyan was an exception to that rule. He had proven time and again that he was most effective on his own. In many ways that made him one of the strongest of them. Newt strode toward Trevelyan, volunteering to assist when nobody else would. He looked at her, slowly shook his head, and made a simple hand gesture at her to not go with him. He didn't forget the promise he made: Keep Newt safe and alive through her training. He intended to keep that. Trevelyan then looked back at the Commanders and nodded once. John stared thoughtfully at the Bounty Hunter. One man alone? It had to be suicide. But they trusted him – he had never let them down so far. How Trevelyan would get up there without the ship slowing down, however, was another thing. They would come in hot – very hot. The COM opened, then some soft crackling static echoed through the Cargo Hold.

"_Commanders, I'm reading a signal. Must be our Salarian infiltration team,_" Joker said over the COM.

Jane flashed five fingers to the team. They snapped into action, entered the Mako, and strapped their harnesses shut. Trevelyan made a quick run by the Normandy Requisitions Officer, taking some extra weaponry with him. The ramp lowered; showing a swirling ocean ahead of them. Jane settled in the vehicle and looked to her left to Trevelyan walking up to the edge of the ramp, then to Newt who didn't look too happy about him going in alone. Neither was Jane. He took a crouching position, leaned back, and his gauntleted fingers brushed over the floor behind him. Jump out of a moving ship? She shook her head. They sent an all-clear signal to the others. Blue acknowledgment lights replied. John opened a COM channel.

"Drop the Mako. We'll go in hot and take them out," John told Joker. The nose of the ship dropped down. Jane looked back at Trevelyan, who now stood up straight. He must've expected for the nose to drop.

"_Roger that. I'll get you in underneath their radar, Commander._"

The _SSV Normandy's_ engines reached higher speeds, raced dangerously close over the water, and pulled a sharp turn. One green blip on the radar moved, and disappeared beyond the range of their scanners. The Commanders looked at the now-empty spot where Trevelyan stood a few seconds ago. The Mako plummeted into the sandy beach with a some water splashing over its shielding. The ship disappeared back into the horizon.

"_We've got a clean drop, Commanders,_" Joker notified over the COM speakers in the Mako.

"Stay out of range and continue evasive maneuvers until we bring those AA Towers off-line," Jane ordered. She could hear Joker squelch what he wanted the say and the COM snapped off. She created another channel. "Trevelyan, come in. Status report."

"_Solid landing here. I'll assist from higher ground. Be advised, Geth have set up a perimeter of Geth Colossus a few klicks ahead,_" Trevelyan replied. "_I'm currently getting into position to get a clear shot on the Anti-Air Towers. Stand by._"

"Good luck."

The COM snapped off. There was no way to be sure he could assist them the whole time. Jane focused back on the mission, drove the Mako through the shoals, and maneuvered around the local wildlife. Two dozen red dots appeared on the radar, though, some dimmed and disappeared. Trevelyan had to be close, but his green blip didn't glow on the radar. John took manual control of the Mako's main and secondary weapon systems. He fired in bursts at the remaining Geth drones. The twisted metal clattered into the water and washed away. Some sniper shots rang through the air, then an explosion. John gritted his teeth as he wanted to blow something up, too – preferably one of those Geth Colossus Trevelyan spoke of. Perhaps deep down he feared Trevelyan would die on his own. No. John shook his head at those thoughts. The Mako spurted around the corner, hitting a goldmine. A rocket colored the Mako's shielding. The Commander made quick work of the Geth Rocket Drones and Juggernauts ahead. Still, it felt like there was a bigger threat on Virmire – outside of Saren or Sovereign.

Jane followed the left-hand mountain side, then drove around the corner. On the outer edge of the radar, Trevelyan's green blip appeared. The Mako drove on when five rockets crossed over the shoals. She barely managed to avoid two of them, then the three others crippled the Mako's shielding badly. The area ahead was different; the Geth had set up hectogram-shaped shields over the water, assisted by Geth Troopers and Drones. Some of the red circles disappeared on the radar again. Luckily, Trevelyan took down the Rocket Troopers before they got a clear shot on the advancing vehicle. John fired the main gun, annihilating the shields hovering a few feet above the water. The holographic dash flickered with an incoming warning from Trevelyan. Jane opened the recorded helmet feed. Five Geth Colossus: dead ahead with a dozen Armatures assisting. The Mako emerged out of the corner, slammed into a Geth Colossus, and twisted its limbs apart. It fired wildly around itself. John quickly took care of the exposed Geth. At least a dozen red, diamond-shaped blips appeared on their radar, indicating hostile vehicles. The team made some unpleasant sounds when ghostly plasma bolts soared over the water. The Mako's weaponry overheated as John continously fired at two Geth Colossus. They were still standing. A single sniper shot tore through the optics of one of the Geth, then the other exploded by an impacting rocket.

"Thanks," John breathed over the COM.

"No problem. You are nearing the Artillery," Trevelyan replied, watching the Mako waiting for its weapons to cool down.

He looked over his shoulder back at the Artillery taking shots at the _SSV Normandy_. And Trevelyan thought he was playing it close to the chest. The ship artfully evaded the incoming rounds as it engaged Geth Dropships overhead. He checked the counter of the rocket launcher – empty – and he threw it aside. A wave hit the mountain side, splashing water over his shields. Some dark gray storm clouds started the brew in the distance. Trevelyan estimated they had _maybe_ eight hours before it would reach them. He jerked his head to the Mako moving on, fighting its way through the dozen Geth Armatures and two Colossus. One of them had itself perfectly placed so it couldn't be seen. He fired his sniper at the exposed Armatures, crippling their optics, and taking them down. Two other Armatures blew up before they got a clear shot at him. Trevelyan sent a silent thank you to the Commanders. Now to return the favor. He shouldered his sniper and slid down the mountain side. The remaining Geth Colossus couldn't choose between Trevelyan or the Mako. It chose the latter, but before it could get a good aim, the Bounty Hunter tackled its cannon out of trajectory, making the Geth miss its shot. The Mako's gun snapped into their direction but didn't fire. Trevelyan was too close. He managed to get on to the Colossus' back, pried open the metal plates, and jammed five grenades into it. He jumped off, waved at the Mako to hold their fire, and ran out of the blast radius. The shields of the Geth Colossus restored, then the grenades exploded. The stayed inside the shield, creating a think layer of fire and smoke to impair the Geth's vision. Trevelyan snapped a thumbs-up to the Mako that fired at the Geth. The last red blip disappeared from the radar. He ran through the shoals up to the Artillery ahead, the Mako following, and parked next to him. The door opened and John clapped Trevelyan on his shoulder.

"Wait here and get some rest. We'll take the Artillery Gun down," John ordered.

"Roger that," he replied and sat down next to the Mako, in the water to let it clean is armor from dirt. Newt sat down next to him.

John waved three fingers at Garrus, Wrex and Tali to come with him. In a brisk pace they hurried up to the Artillery Gun. The Commander took point, ran up the ramp, and waved at the others to come in when it was clear. It was weird the Geth let this place undefended. Perhaps they assumed the Geth Colossus and Armatures would suffice. They walked through a tunnel carved out of the mountain side and into another room. In the back stood an energy generator. Tali's nimble fingers brushed over the holographic keyboard, tapped in some buttons, and disabled the Artillery. Garrus activated the controls to open the doors. They hurried back to the Mako, entered, and drove ahead to the Salarian encampment.

"_I'm reading that the grid is down, Commanders. On approach to the Salarian base now. Out._"

A handful of Geth defended another post ahead. John didn't bother and blew them all up with the Mako's main gun. Garrus tapped in some codes into his Omni-Tool, manually overriding the controls from afar, saving them the time of walking back and forth. There was no further Geth activity present. Did they give up? No, they must be regrouping ahead. The COM opened.

"_Commanders. Normandy's touched down at the base, but it looks like were grounded,_" Joker told them. "_The Salarian Captain can explain when you get here._"

They drove down a winding road. Wrex pointed ahead at the makeshift Salarian camp. It was, as they expected, set up in a hurry, though, none of them could blame the Salarians in this situation. They could see the _SSV Normandy_ sitting to their right. Before they met with the Salarian Captain, Jane parked the Mako back in the ship. The rest of the team had spread around the area, gathering useful information. If there was any – most of it they knew already. The Commanders walked up to Williams who seemed to talk to the Salarian Captain.

"...So what are we supposed to do now?" She complained, her shoulders hanging low. Williams yearned for some action, and this was the exact opposite.

"Stay put until we can come up with a plan," the Captain stated flat.

"Are you in charge here? What's the current situation?" John asked.

"I'm Captain Kirrahe, Third Infiltration Regiment STG," he formally introduced. Then the Captain's expression turned sour. "You and your crew have just landed in the middle of a hotzone. Every AA gun within ten miles has been alerted to your presence."

"What do you suggest we do in the meantime?" Jane replied.

"Stay put until the Council sends the reinforcements we requested."

"We are the reinforcements," Kaidan stepped in. The Salarian Captain's face turned pale, then looked at the small group of people around him.

"What? You're all they sent? I told the Council to send a fleet."

"We couldn't understand your transmission. They sent us to investigate," John explained. He couldn't deny feeling the same way if he was in Kirrahe's shoes, though. You'd need a fleet to get out of here.

"That is a repetition of our task," Kirrahe sighed. "I lost half my men _investigating_ this place."

"So what have you found?"

"Saren's base of operations. He's set up a research facility here, but it's crawling with Geth and very well fortified," he continued.

"Is he here? Have you seen him?" John asked.

"No. But his Geth are everywhere, and we've intercepted comms referring to Saren. This is his facility, there's no doubt about that."

"What's Saren researching?" Jane asked, confused. They thought Saren was looking for the Conduit. But research? What could that possibly be?

"He's using the facility to breed an army of Krogan." The answer caught Wrex's attention, and his heavy boots created muffled _thuds_ with each step toward the group.

"How is that possible?" Wrex asked, stepping into the conversation.

"Apparently, Saren has discovered a cure for the Genophage," Kirrahe said. Both the Commanders faces turned from curious to concerned, then turned to Wrex.

"The Geth are bad enough. But a Krogan army... he'd be almost unstoppable," Kaidan remarked, followed by a low whistle.

"Exactly my thoughts. We must ensure that this facility and its secrets are destroyed."

"Destroyed? I don't think so. Our people are dying. This cure can save them," Wrex growled.

"If that cure leaves this planet, the Krogan will become unstoppable. We can't make the same mistake again," the Captain concluded calmly despite Wrex walking up to him.

"We are not a mistake!" He pointed angrily at the Captain who leaned back. Wrex took a last look at the Captain, then walked away.

"Is he going to be a problem? We already have enough angry Krogan to deal with."

"He'll be fine. I'll talk to him."

"I appreciate that, Commander," Kirrahe said, grateful. "My men and I need to rethink our plan of attack. Can you give us some time?"

"Go ahead, Captain. We'll be back soon," Jane replied.

The Captain nodded at the Commanders and walked up to the rest of his team. John and Jane turned to Kaidan who had his arms crossed, impatient. Williams, too, looked impatient. The rest gathered around the four men. They jerked their heads to the sound of a loud gunshot. Trevelyan held on to his sidearm, unconsciously pushing Newt behind him.

"Well, looks like things are a bit of a mess," Alenko remarked. Could he blame the Salarians? No, he wouldn't have done better himself. He admitted that much at least.

"Yeah. I wouldn't be so worried if it wasn't for Wrex. He looks like he's going to blow a gasket," Ashley added and pointed at Wrex firing his shotgun at the water.

"We'll talk to him. We'll be careful. But be ready... just in case," John told her.

Williams wasn't the only who 'got ready'. Garrus readied his sniper. Trevelyan kept his glare locked on Wrex, his hand on the trigger of his sniper, too. However, Liara and Tali both looked concerned at Wrex – they understood why he felt this way. They all did. But they had to work together, maybe create a cure later. The Krogan had paid for their mistake a long time ago. It didn't matter now. Liara and Tali watched from a distance while the Commanders approached Wrex, covered by Trevelyan, Garrus and Williams. Wrex aimed his shotgun at the rippling water, stared thoughtfully at the sun glimmering on it, and pulled the trigger. He snapped his head to the Commanders.

"This is not right, Shepard. If there's a cure for the Genophage, we can't destroy it," he sighed through his deep voice.

"I understand you're upset, we all do. But we both know that Saren's the enemy here. He's the one you should be angry with," John started carefully.

"Really? Saren created a cure for my people. You want to destroy it," Wrex replied coolly as he stepped toward the Commanders. "Help me out here, Shepard. The lines between friend and foe are getting a little blurry from where I stand."

"This isn't a cure, it's a weapon. And if Saren is allowed to use it, you won't be around to reap the benefits. None of us will," John replied calmly.

"That's a chance we should be willing to take. This is the fate of my entire people we're talking about." Wrex strode up until he stood face to face with John. "I've been loyal to you so far. Hell, you did more for me than my family ever did. But if I'm going to keep following you, I need to know we're doing is for the right reasons."

Wrex took two steps back, grabbed his shotgun from his back, and aimed it at John. Both Commanders snapped into action, grabbing their sidearms. Jane raised her hand, then clenched it into a fist. Wrex could see Williams, Garrus and Trevelyan lower their snipers in the distance. He then turned to Jane.

"Wrex, these Krogan are not your people. They're slaves of Saren. Tools. Is that what you want for them?" Jane explained. Wrex was in deep thought about what she said. The Commanders both lowered their weapons.

"No. We were tools for the Council once. To thank us for wiping out the Rachni, they neutered us all. I doubt Saren will be as generous," Wrex said after a long, tense silence. He relaxed and lowered his shotgun. "All right, Shepard. You've made your point. I don't like this, but I trust you enough to follow your lead. Just one thing. When we find Saren, I want his head."

There's the Wrex they knew. John nodded at him with a grin on his face. The team gathered by Captain Kirrahe's tent. They did, however, look tense. Captain Kirrahe stepped toward the Commanders.

"Thank you for speaking with the Krogan. The assault on Saren's base will be difficult enough as it is," he said. The Captain could see some of the Commander's team cringe at the thought of assaulting the base. They were horribly outnumbered.

"So you have come up with a plan," Jane remarked.

"Of sorts. We can convert our ship's drive system into a twenty-kiloton ordnance. Crude, but effective," the Captain explained. "Unfortunately, the facility is too well-fortified for an orbital strike. We'll need to place the bomb at a precise location."

"Where do we take the nuke?" John asked. He was in for an assault, much more fun than watching fireworks from orbit. But there was another problem, and he voiced his question: "And how do we get there?"

"The bomb must be taken to the far side of the facility. Your ship can drop it off, but we'll need to infiltrate the base, disable the AA guns, and pacify any ground forces first," Kirrahe explained. "I'm going to divide my men into three teams and hit the front of the facility. While we've got their attention, you can sneak your "shadow" team in the back."

"It's a _good_ idea, but your people are going to get slaughtered," Jane concluded. She didn't mean it like that, though. But Salarians were known across the Galaxy for their incredible intellect – not combat prowess.

"We're tougher than we look, Commander. But it's true. I don't expect many of us will make it out alive," the Captain admitted remarkably calm. In fact, he has been calm the whole time. "And that makes what I'm going to ask even more difficult. I need one of your men to accompany me. To help coordinate the teams."

"We'll need someone who knows Alliance communication protocols," Jane replied. This ruled out at least half the team members, maybe excluding Trevelyan, but she wanted to keep him close this time.

"I volunteer, Commander," Kaidan said as he took several paces forward.

"Not so fast, LT. The Commanders will need you to arm the nuke. I'll go with the Salarians," Ashley snapped, also stepping forward.

"We can safely arm the nuke from a distance with a highly-encrypted frequency the Geth cannot pick up," Trevelyan suggested.

"With all due respect, Gunnery Chief, it's not your place to decide," Kaidan barked, ignoring the Bounty Hunter.

"Why is it that whenever someone says "with all due respect" they really mean "kiss my ass?"" She shot back. John waved his hand dismissively at both of them, then looked back at Captain Kirrahe.

"We'll go with Trevelyan's method of arming the nuke. But who would be better suited for the mission?" He asked.

"Either of these two will do, Commander. Both seem willing to sacrifice their lives if necessary, though if we are lucky, such sacrifices won't be required."

"Take both men with you. Extra hands never hurt," John replied, then looked over his shoulder at Kaidan and Ashley. "Alenko, Williams, you two are with the Captain. Keep it simple, understood?"

"Aye, aye, Commander!" They both replied, snapping a salute to the Commanders, and joined Kirrahe's side.

"I will have the ordnance loaded onto the Normandy and brief your crew on its detonation sequencing. Your teammate will have to do this trick for arming at from a distance," Kirrahe told them.

"We are ready when you are, Captain," the Commanders replied in unison. Some of their team started to wonder if it was some sort of "twin thing."

"Excellent. Then if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare my men."

Kaidan and Ashley walked with the Captain. It was really weird for them, going under someone else's command. They got used to working with the Commanders and the non-Humans, that even included Williams. She even started to take a liking to them. It didn't matter if they weren't part of the same unit. They still had to watch each other's back, and keep everyone alive through this. The Commanders snapped to their team. Trevelyan interacted with the nuclear device, synching it. He gave a thumbs-up to the Salarians and Alliance soldiers so they could load it on board. They snapped their attention to Kirrahe who called all his men to gather in front of his tent.

"You all know the mission and what is at stake. I have come to trust each of you with my life, but I also have heard murmurs of discontent. I share your concerns," Captain Kirrahe spoke. "We are trained for espionage. We would be legends, but the records are sealed. Glory in battle is not our way."

Captain Kirrahe strode to his right, his head held high and proudly as he always did.

"Think of our heroes: the Silent-Step, who defeated a nation with a single shot. Or the Ever Alert, who kept armies at bay with hidden fact. These giants do not seem to give us solace here, but they are not all that we are. Before the network, there was a fleet. Before diplomacy, there were soldiers," Kirrahe continued as he passed each member of his team. "Our influence stopped the Rachni, but before that, we held the line. Our influence stopped the Krogan, but before that, we held the line!"

Captain Kirrahe slowly walked back to small ramp of his tent, raised his three-fingered hand to the sun, and said his final line.

"Our influence will stop Saren! Today in the battle, we will hold the line!"

The Captain took one last look at the Commanders and their team, and nodded. They replied with the same gesture. It wasn't just a nod. It was a promise they would all come through this alive. Jane looked at the team, then to John.

"We should split up into two teams, too," she suggested.

"Permission to lead the second team," Trevelyan said just before Garrus did.

"Denied. I want you on our team. Same goes for Liara," she snapped in her on-the-mission voice. He didn't voice a protest. Jane looked at the others. "Garrus, you lead the second team. Try to disrupt Geth heading for Kirrahe's team. We need to help in every way possible."

Garrus nodded, eager to lead. They split up. The Commander's team jumped down to a lower level in the sand. Liara wiped it off her armor, looked at the others, and ran up to them. She could feel the sand crawling up her... No, she couldn't think of that now. John gestured at them to stay, he raised his hand, and opened in incoming COM freq.

"_Comm check. Do you read me, Commander?_" Kirrahe asked.

"Loud and clear," he replied. John looked at the rest of the team who all nodded at him, also having a clear signal.

"_Good. We'll start our push. We'll try to make it to the AA guns, but it might be up to you to finish the job . . . And Commander? If you see any way to undermine their defenses, we could definitely use the help._"

"Roger that. Good luck," John replied, then made another COM channel. "Hear that, Garrus?"

"_Affirmative. We'll take the long route around the area, take down hostiles and see what we can do to assist both teams,_" Garrus told them.

The COM snapped off. This was it – Saren had no where else to run. They would get him, though, something started to eat away at Jane. Was Trevelyan's target here, too? How dangerous would that person be?


	23. Remembrance

_**Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves**_

* * *

The sun glimmered over the rippling water, joined by a cool breeze. It almost made them forget about the dangers that lurked around here. The wind carried the whispers of gunfire in the distance – the whispers that snapped them out of the illusion of peace. John crouched behind some boulders, looked at a small building ahead filled with Geth, and shifted his attention to Garrus' team sneaking up to it. He pointed two fingers at Trevelyan, then to some rocks ahead. Trevelyan ghosted ahead, readied his sniper, and melted into the shadows. His visor switched to tactical, targeting all Geth hostiles, and sent them to both the Commanders and Garrus' team. Two glowing purple lights flickered steadily on the heads-up display. He waited for the green blips on his radar to get into position, and sent him the _ready_ signal. He kept one eye on the Geth ahead and the other on the lights. The glowing purple snapped to luminescent green. Trevelyan pulled the trigger and watched the sniper round tear through a Geth's optics, then ricochet into the Triangulation Tower's system. The Geth's communications disabled.

"_Something scrambled their targeting. We've got a shot! Lieutenant Alenko, take the heat of Mannovai!_" Captain Kirrahe's voice sounded over the crackling COM.

That wasn't enough. The Commanders promised everyone would get out of here alive. Everyone. The team snapped to action and moved toward the next set of coordinates. Jane could see a ghostly figure in the distance; tall, pitch-black, and a red visor locking on her. It couldn't be a friendly. A razor sharp pain tore through her shield and lodged in her thigh. Before the second bullet could impact on her, a silver object took the round for her. Trevelyan used his arm to push her down behind cover, bring his rifle to bear, and fired at the Geth Snipers at another building ahead. Two sniper rounds crossed the air. They recognized the make; Garrus' special personal rounds, and Newt's experimental pulse slugs. The rounds impacted on the Satellite Uplink, destroying it. They continued to search for more ways to hinder the Geth. Jane risked a peek back at the building ahead – the figure was gone. Five green blips came within the reach of their radars, then an explosion caused the area to shake. A trail of smoke reached the sky from behind a mountain. Garrus' team raced around the corner toward the Commander's team. They all picked up a COM frequency.

"_Air threat has not materialized! We may be getting some help from Shad... Te..._"

The COM broke off. There wasn't anything left here for them to exploit. John prayed they could find something ahead to help Captain Kirrahe survive. Several Krogan Battlemaster – must've been tank-bred – approached their position. Garrus' team flanked them, drawing the hostile's attention, then allowed the Commanders to move in closer. Both teams moved briskly, now having the advantage. Newt strode forward, tackling a Geth down, disabled it, and looked up at John who nodded at her. He brought his assault rifle to bear at a Geth behind her, but it dropped to the ground when a sniper round created a hole in its chest. Newt looked over at Garrus and sent a silent thank you, waving once with two fingers at him. The rest met up at the next round balcony. The Commanders did a quick check on everyone. All alive and well. Tali walked in a brisk pace toward a terminal leading to the next building. Something made Jane wary of it. The person she saw earlier stood on the roof of this building. Trevelyan himself, however, could feel the presence of something else and it made his armor itch. Tali jerked her head to the Commanders and gestured at them to walk over.

"I've got access to Base Security. I can cut the alarms from here. Maybe even trigger alarms on the far side of base," she explained. She connected her Omni-Tool to the system, then brought up a small screen showing, split it in two, and showed two different camera views: The building and Captain Kirrahe's men; Mannovai, Jaëto, and Aegohr Teams. They could see the Geth make a strong push for it against the Salarians. "It'll clear out the guards for us, but they might be too much for the Salarian teams to handle."

"Just disable the alarms. We can handle any Geth inside," John ordered her.

Tali's nimble fingers brushed over the holographic keyboard, and the red light on the door ahead snapped to green. Jane flashed five fingers at the others to fall in behind them. As they walked in, something wasn't right. Geth bodies and dead Salarians littered the large open space, killed by precise shots to its optics. They readied their weapons and kept a close eye on each other. A single person moved out of the shadows. Trevelyan froze in position when his eyes met with the person, Michael; Operative Alpha-One, his former friend. He kept one eye on his radar, showing the green outlines forming up a few feet behind them, and the other on Michael. Except for one. Jenkins snuck up to Michael, the intense lighting illuminating his standard-issue combat knife. The Operative spun around, grabbed hold of Jenkins arm, and slammed with his other on the Corporal's helmet. Jenkins felt the extreme force travel through his spine, a bone-splintering pain in each individual spinal disc. His body turned limp, then fell on the ground. He couldn't move a single muscle.

"Trevelyan, I see you still cling to the past. Join Sovereign, he can make you stronger than Goliath could ever hope to make us be," Michael offered. "We can truly save the Galaxy, then. Isn't that what we were taught to do?"

"A better being? You and I both. We are but flawed versions of our former selves," Trevelyan replied.

"I have no flaws. Sovereign has perfected me," said Michael, impassive. He looked at the others, then back to Trevelyan. "So be it. Your friends can go on. We'll settle our differences here once and for all."

Trevelyan risked turning his back to Michael to hand Newt his weapons. She was about to voice a protest of him fighting unarmed. Honorably? Maybe, but far too risky. He taught her the exact opposite of what he was about to do. He nodded at the team – it spoke volumes to them. They replied with the same gesture. Wrex and Garrus carefully picked up Jenkins, then walked behind the rest out of the room. When the door locked, Trevelyan brought his glare back to Michael who shook his head.

"You fool. I have been given millions of years of knowledge on raw biotics. You have already lost."

He raised his hands and created two biotics whirlpools that started to erode the ground it touched. Trevelyan unconsciously took a step back as it came closer, then remembered what the Thorian imprinted in his mind. He set one foot forward, brought his right hand to bear, and used a precise bolt of energy to halt the swirling biotics. The sudden halt created a mixture of biotics and energy that rippled in the air. Trevelyan's arm swept through it and connected with Michael's hand, who caught it with little effort. The Operative slammed the elbow up. The augmentations in Trevelyan's arm disallowed the bones to move in the direction and absorbed some of the bone-crushing force. Worse, Michael was tougher, cunning, the best of all eight trained, and _"perfected"_ by Sovereign. Trevelyan activated the thruster in his boot, and it connected with the Operative's abdomen– But Michael activated his own and they both slammed through the ceiling into an unknown trajectory.

They crashed in the heat of a crossfire, then rolled over Geth and Husks. Trevelyan struggled back up to his feet, Geth plasma fire impacting on his shields. Before Trevelyan could react, Michael's boot connected with his side, then his knee. The augmentations couldn't absorb the force, and his bones broke. Trevelyan reverse side-kicked Michael back. It bought him just enough time to adjust. He jumped toward a beam hanging over them. On the upswing, Trevelyan's boots connected with Michael's chest. He used his momentum to swing over the beam, then kick Michael again before he landed on his feet. The gunfire around them died. The Commanders moved toward the two fighting, their weapons drawn, but neither of them had a clear line of fire.

"Move, Trevelyan!" Jane shouted. "Damn it, we've got no shot!"

Easier said than done. If Trevelyan let go, Michael would kill him, the Commanders and their team. Trevelyan grunted, struggling to break free of Michael's solid grip. Michael fought back for a moment, then – instead of resisting – lurched back, right into the path of the Commander's advancing teammates. The Operative waved his arm at them so the raw biotic blast whipped toward Garrus and Tali. Garrus screamed and fell to the ground as the biotics eroded his sniper away and hit his chest. Tali cursed and fired a single shotgun round, but it glanced off Michael's shielding. He glanced at the source of the fire and laughed mockingly. Wrex lifted Garrus up, who held his hand on his chest in pain.

"Get out of here!" Trevelyan barked.

Michael raised his knee to his chest and lashed out with a straight kick. His boot connected with Trevelyan's chest. His shields flared, then faded, and his chest armor cracked like porcelain beneath the force of the blow. The suit's energy signatures dropped to zero. He staggered back, dragging Michael with him, and slammed his head into the meter thick metal wall. It collapsed. Michael shook his head, then felt Trevelyan's knee hit his face again. He delivered a single elbow into Trevelyan side, knocking him off balance. He fell on the ground. With all his strength, he kicked Michael's leg. Trevelyan screamed in pain as he reached for his left leg when he felt something shatter inside. The Operative lifted his body up and slammed him into the wall. He walked back to loosen a device hanging on the wall. Michael reeled it back, waited for Trevelyan to stand, and slammed it forward. Trevelyan felt the large object dent his helmet, blurring his vision. Michael slammed device forward and then again. Before he could finish reeling it back for the fourth time, something hit his neck. Michael snapped to a young girl kicking him back. He grabbed her right arm and slammed her face into a desk. Michael punched her on her right shoulder blade as he pulled her right arm back. Trevelyan snapped out of the blurry vision and looked at Michael looming over Newt with a large piece of twisted metal in his hands.

He ran up to them and jumped in front of Newt. A sharp pain spread in his chest. Blood smeared over his visor. Trevelyan looked at the twisted metal protruding from his chest with thin lines of blood running down from it. He looked at Newt, who froze in position. He brought his gauntleted hand to the metal, pulling it through him. Trevelyan slowly turned around to face Michael and pierced his neck with the metal. Michael's hands reached for his neck, trying to pull it out as blood gushed out of the wound. He made some gurgling growls, snapped to Trevelyan, and punched him twice on the exit wound on his chest. Trevelyan dropped to his knees and felt Michael grab his right arm to choke him. A single gunshot echoed through the room. Newt looked at Trevelyan falling out of Michael's grip, then fired another round at the Operative's throat. He limped toward her. She fired another round at the twisted metal. It moved through his neck, his head flung back, and his body dropped on the ground. Newt hurried up to Trevelyan, checking his vitals. Her radar indicated four red blips. She jerked her head to four unarmed Geth carrying Michael's body away. Newt focused back on Trevelyan who didn't react, and injected medi-gel into the exit wound on his chest. She wouldn't leave him here – she couldn't. Her shoulder hurt, but Newt pulled through it and hefted Trevelyan's body with her. She continued down the empty hallways, following the sound of gunfire. The COM crackled open.

"_All right! Nice work. That's one less thing to worry about,_" Joker's voice rang over the COM speakers in her helmet. "_Commanders, I'm bringing us in. I'll get as close to the site as I can._"

Newt felt her strength weaken and decided drag Trevelyan with her the last few meters. The water around them became a mixture of blood and medi-gel. Sweat dripped in her eye, momentarily blurring her vision. She could hear the engines of the _SSV Normandy_ rumble, and moved faster. Newt felt a hand grab her shoulder and she looked at the Commander helping her. Jane knelt next to Trevelyan, pulling his dented helmet off and threw it aside. She pressed her finger on his neck, checking for a pulse. Newt reached for her head and took a step back into Liara.

"Are you all right, Newt?" Liara asked.

"Yeah... Just a little... tired..." Newt told her.

"Newt?"

Liara caught Newt before her body fell on the ground. She looked at the Alliance personnel carrying the nuclear bomb down the ramp, and Trevelyan in with Jane following. John ran up to Liara, helping her with Newt.

"Three minute rest. After this we blow the place," John ordered.

Jane sat Trevelyan's body up straight on the medical bed. She removed the safety seals on his armor and placed it aside. The Commander proceeded to remove his broken breastplate, carefully making sure the wound wasn't touched. Her expression grimaced when she saw his blood soaked undersuit. Dr. Chakwas helped Jane with his armor and cut his undersuit open. John and Liara walked in, carrying Newt with them. Chakwas wasn't surprised to see her Medical Bay fill up, but even this was extreme. She ran a scan on Newt and sighed in relief. Just unconscious. Both Commanders looked at the wounded; Jenkins, Trevelyan, Garrus, and Newt. Dr. Chakwas placed her hand-held scanner on her desk and walked up to the Commanders.

"Trevelyan's clinically dead. I'm not even sure if he could recover from those wounds. Whatever pierced his chest should've killed him on the spot. Garrus is fine, I've put him under for a few hours. Jenkins' spine is fractured, he'll never walk again. Please, I need to work," she said in a dismissive tone. Before Jane could word her concerns, Chakwas raised her voice a level. "I'll do what I can."

Jane went with both hands through her hair. John walked frustrated with her and Liara back to the bomb. They didn't expect to lose four men, and one of them clinically dead. They told themselves that the Salarians would have the toughest part to fight through. Turned out it was the opposite. John opened the incoming COM channel.

"_Commander, do you read me?_" Kaidan asked, stressed. John looked over his shoulder at Jane, who gave him a thumbs-up.

"The nuke is almost ready, Lieutenant. Get to the rendezvous point," he ordered.

"_Negative, Commander. The Geth have us pinned down on the AA Tower. We'll never make the rendezvous point in time,_" Williams replied. "_It's too hot for the Normandy to pick us up. You can't risk it. We'll hold them off as long as we–_"

"I can remotely arm the nuke from a distance with Trevelyan's frequency. We can go get them," Tali purred.

They didn't waste any time. The Commanders took point and briskly moved for the AA Tower. The team walked down the watery room and took the elevator back up. A Geth Dropship flew overhead. The Commander snapped to Tali and nodded at her. She activated her Omni-Tool, arming the nuke from a safe distance. The timer said: twenty minutes. Enough time for them to return to the place where they met Rana Thanoptis. There was something there – they felt it. They raced down the dead hallways until they reached her office, and proceeded inside. The Commander's instincts were right: A Prothean Beacon. They didn't waste any time, and walked up to it. Their minds emptied as the Prothean Beacon's light took control of them. The bodies hovered in the air, at long last making the vision whole. A red hologram flickered up. It had the shape of the Sovereign.

"You are not Saren," it said with a dark voice.

"What is that? Some kind of V.I. interface?" Liara asked.

"Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh. You touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding."

"I don't think this is a V.I.," Tali concluded.

"There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own, you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign."

"Sovereign isn't just some Reaper ship Saren found. It's an actual Reaper!" John said, perplexed.

"Trevelyan was right after all," Jane muttered.

"Reaper? A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they choose to call us is irrelevant. We simple are."

"The Protheans vanished 50,000 years ago. You couldn't have been there. It's impossible," Liara said.

"Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die," Sovereign spoke. "We are eternal. The pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything."

"There is an entire Galaxy of races united and ready to face you," John threatened.

"Confidence born of ignorance. The Cycle cannot be broken," Sovereign replied.

"Cycle? What Cycle?"

"The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance. And at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished," Sovereign explained. "The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the Citadel. They did not forge the Mass Relays. They merely found them, the legacy of my kind."

"Why would you construct the Mass Relays, then leave them for someone else to find?"

"Your civilization is based on the technology of the Mass Relays, our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire." Sovereign's hologram snapped a brighter, more threatening red. "We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it."

"They're harvesting us. Letting us advance to the level they need, then wiping us out!" Tali exclaimed.

"What do you want from us? Slaves? Resources?" Jane demanded to know.

"My kind transcends your very understanding. We are each a nation. Independent, free of all weakness. You cannot even grasp the nature of our existence."

"Where did you come from? Who built you?" Liara inquired.

"We have no beginning. We have no end. We are infinite. Millions of years after your civilization has been eradicated and forgotten, we will endure."

"Where are the rest of the Reapers? Are you the last of your kind?" John asked.

"We are legion. The time of our return is coming. Our numbers will darken the sky of every world. You cannot escape your doom."

"You're not even alive. Not really. You're just a machine. And machines can be broken!" John replied.

"Your words are as empty as your future. I am the Vanguard of your Destruction. This exchange is over."

The hologram flickered off and the systems overloaded. The windows nearby broke at the force of the explosion. The Commanders checked Tali and Liara if they were harmed. Someone hailed them over the COM channel.

"_Commander? We got trouble!_" Joker shouted over the COM. They could hear the concern brimming in his voice.

"Hit us, Joker," Jane replied.

"_That ship, Sovereign? It's moving. I don't know what you did down there, but that thing just pulled a turn that would shear any of our ships in half,_" he explained. "_It's coming your way, and it's coming hard. You need to get to the AA Tower for immediate extraction._"

The Commanders looked at the countdown: fourteen minutes. They snapped into action and raced back down the halls to the elevator, taking it to the AA Tower. They could hear gunfire on the other side of the door. Kirrahe's teams were still in the fight. John leaped out of the elevator, fired his assault rifle at the oblivious Geth, and took them down. Liara and Jane followed while Tali used Trevelyan's frequency to add several layers of encryption to halt the Geth. Jane sensed they were being watched. Her instincts were right. They barely managed to dodge an incoming blast of warp. Their eyes locked with Saren, who stood on a transportation pad. The Spectre's biotics flared up, firing mercilessly at the Commanders taking cover. He jumped down into the water and walked up to them. John risked leaning out of cover, then fired two rounds at Saren. The shield deflected the rounds with ease.

"I applaud you, Shepard. My Geth were utterly convinced the Salarians were the real threat. An impressive diversion," Saren said, a tint of admiration in his voice for the Commander's creativity. "Of course, it was all for nothing. I can't let you two disrupt what I've accomplished here. You can't possibly understand what's really at stake."

"Why are you doing this?" Jane asked. She shook her head when she realized how stupid that must've sounded.

"You two have seen the visions from the beacons, Shepard. You two, of all people, should understand what the Reapers are capable of. They cannot be stopped," Saren explained. "Do not mire yourself in in pointless revolt. Do not sacrifice everything for the sake of petty freedoms. The Protheans tried to fight, and they were utterly destroyed. Trillions dead. But what if they had bowed before their invaders? Would the Protheans still exist? Is submission not preferable to extinction?"

"Do you really believe the Reapers will let us live?" John asked, unable to believe what he heard.

"Now you see why I never came forward with this to the Council. We organics are driven by emotions instead of logic. We will fight even when we know we cannot win. But if we work with the Reapers – if we make ourselves useful – think how many lives could be spared!" Saren replied. "Once I understood this, I joined Sovereign, though I was aware of the... dangers. I had hoped this facility could protect me."

"You're like every other poor bastard in this place. A tool Sovereign can use, then cast aside," Tali remarked.

"I've studied the effects of indoctrination. The more control Sovereign exerts, the less capable the subject becomes. That is my saving grace," he continued. "Sovereign needs me to find the Conduit. My mind is still my own... for now. But the transformation from ally to servant can be subtle. I will not let it happen to me."

"Sovereign's manipulating you and you don't even know it. You're already under its power," Jane snapped.

"No! Sovereign needs me. If I find the Conduit, I've been promised a reprieve from the inevitable. This is my only hope," Saren barked.

"Together we can stop Sovereign. We don't have to submit to the Reapers. We can beat them," Jane continued.

"I no longer believe that, Shepard. The visions cannot be denied. The Reapers are too powerful. The only hope of survival is to join with them. Sovereign is a machine. It thinks like a machine. If I can prove my value, I become a source worth maintaining. There is no other logical conclusion."

"You were a Spectre. You were sworn to defend the Galaxy. Then you broke that vow to save yourself!"

"I'm not doing this for myself! Don't you see? Sovereign will succeed. It is inevitable. My way is the only way any of us will survive!" Saren growled. "I'm forging an alliance between us and the Reapers. And in doing so, I will save more lives than have ever existed. But you would undo my work. You would doom our entire civilization to complete annihilation. And for that, you must die."

John charged up to Saren before he could reach his transport. Jane ran up to them. She landed a hit on the Spectre's neck, then his knee. Saren created a single powerful biotic blast that knocked them both back. He kneed Jane, then grabbed John and lifted him up by the throat. The Commander noticed hesitation on Saren's behalf and took advantage of it. He punched the Spectre in the face, and they both fell on the ground. He didn't bother catching a breath and immediately aimed his pistol at Saren who disappeared on his transport. The _SSV Normandy_ moved in at dangerous speed and landed. Everyone hurried into the Cargo Hold. The ramp closed and they could feel the shift in gravity swirl their stomachs around.

"_Everybody hang on!_" Joker yelled over the COM speakers.

The SSV Normandy flew away from the planet, and everyone could see the explosion reach into the atmosphere. Whatever Saren achieved on that base, it was gone forever. The team gathered in the COM Room. John looked at the four empty seats where normally, Garrus, Jenkins, Newt and Trevelyan sat. Jane had her head cupped in her face, silent. They failed – again. Saren got away.

"Commanders? Excuse me for interrupting, but I have an idea. I think the beacon you found in Saren's base was similar to the one you found on Eden Prime," Liara started. "It may have filled in the missing pieces of your vision. I might be able to help you put all those pieces together."

"You want to join our minds again, don't you? Okay. Go ahead," John said. He looked back at his sister who hadn't moved.

"Relax, Commander. Embrace eternity!"

Their visions blackened, then the Prothean Vision played in their minds. The pained roars of the Protheans echoed in their heads, followed by machinery merging into their bodies. The screams turned more painful when cybernetics took their lives over. They looked over a star system, and they passed several planets until they saw one. In the center of the planet, Sovereign emerged.

"Incredible. I... I never thought the images would be so... intense. I need a moment to collect myself."

"Did the vision make any sense to you?" John asked, ironically, not letting her collect herself.

"It's a distress call, a message sent across the Prothean Empire. A warning against the Reapers, but the warning came too late," she answered.

"What about the Conduit?" John continued.

"There were other images. Locations. Places I recognized from my research... Ilos. The Conduit is on Ilos! That is why Saren needed to find the Mu Relay! It is the only way to get to Ilos," she told him.

"We need to get to Ilos!" Both Commanders said at once.

"Forget it. The Mu Relay's in the Terminus Systems. Alliance ships are not welcome there. Neither are Spectres," Tali told them.

"The Conduit's on Ilos. That's where Saren is heading. I'll be waiting for him when he gets there!" Jane snapped.

"Saren will have his entire fleet orbiting Ilos. You will never make it down without reinforcements. You must alert the Council. We need a fleet to– ohhh..." Liara cupped her hand on her forehead and rubbed her temples.

"Get some rest in the Medical Bay. The rest of you... dismissed!"

"_Commanders, there is a comm buoy nearby. I can link us in if you want to report back to the Council. You know, to warn them about Sovereign._"

"Set the link up, Joker. They need to know." The familiar faces of the Citadel Council flickered up.

"Commanders Shepard. I'm pleased to see your mission on Virmire was a success," Councilor Tevos remarked.

"Saren is formidable enough without an army of Krogan serving under him," Councilor Sparatus added.

"The Krogan would've served Sovereign. A Reaper," Jane told them.

"Yes, we saw mention of this in your report. Sovereign. A sentient machine. A true artificial intelligence. This news is quite alarming... if it turns out to be accurate," Councilor Valern replied.

"Sovereign's a Reaper. Saren admitted it!" John growled.

"He's playing you, Shepard! Saren still has contacts on the Citadel. He probably saw your earlier reports. The ones talking about your visions. And the Reapers," Sparatus replied.

"It's highly possible Saren is using false information to throw you off balance. Our own intelligence has never turned up any corroborating information," Valern added.

"Sooner or later you're going to have to take something we say on faith, Councilor." Both Commanders said in chorus.

"Try to see this from our perspective, Commanders. Saren is a threat we can recognize. However, as far as we know, the Reapers only exist in your visions," Tevos explained.

"Our decisions affect trillions of lives. We cannot act on the accusations of two people. Even Spectres. Not without solid evidence."

"The Council cannot take any official action here. That is why we created the Spectres. You have the authority to act as you see fit."

"If you truly believe Sovereign is a real threat, you two must take whatever steps are necessary to stop it – and Saren."

"Good luck, Commanders. From all of us."


	24. Evening Stars

**Evening Stars**

* * *

The Commanders walked out of the COM Room toward the CIC. John clenched his jaw, thinking about Virmire. How do we get to Ilos? It was a question that he and Jane kept asking themselves. They walked up to the Galaxy Map. John held the railing with a knuckle-white tight grip, and Jane paced around the CIC. The Commander brought up the Galaxy Map and started to look through all the star charts. His finger brushed over the map, selected a single planet, and brought up Ilos. He tapped his index finger on his chin, in deep thought. Jane walked back up to her brother, looking at the holographic planet hovering over the map. The nearby speakers crackled open as the COM activated. They both waited for the crackling static to clear up, and hear the announcement.

"_Commanders? Ambassador Udina wants us to report back to the Citadel. We've got confirmation on those reinforcements,_" Joker said over the COM, "_but the Normandy took a little beating during the attack on Virmire. We'll have to make some repairs before we can head back._"

"How long, Joker?" John snapped. There was a five second silence.

"_Two days. Maybe one if we are lucky,_" Joker replied.

The COM snapped off. John looked at his sister, who shook her head at what they just heard. There was nothing else left for them to do. All they could do was repair the damage and head for the Citadel. They walked down to the Mess Hall. Kaidan and Williams got out of their seats and crisply saluted the Commanders. They returned the gesture. Everyone who sat by the table in the Mess had some scrapes, burns and bullet injuries. Captain Kirrahe's men also sat in the back of the Mess Hall, having themselves removed from the others. Both Commanders looked toward the Medical Bay where their concerns went to. They opened the door and stepped in. A strong aroma of herbal tea filled their senses as they entered: Doctor Chakwas' personal mixture of herbs. The four injured were all asleep . . . or at least heavily sedated. Dr. Chakwas had her face nestled on a pillow on her desk. John walked up to her, grabbed the medical files from her desk, and started to read through them. Jane checked up on everyone _sleeping_. She checked up on Trevelyan and wiped a line of dried up blood from his mouth. She looked back at her brother, who silently walked around the wounded with the medical report and walked up to her.

"How are they?" She asked.

"Garrus is fine. Just asleep. Newt has some minor physical trauma," John answered and nodded at Jenkins. "Jenkins' spine is completely fractured. He's paralyzed from the waist down."

"What about Trevelyan?" Jane continued.

"He has some injuries," John answered vaguely. He could feel his sister's burning impatience. "Eight broken ribs, shattered left tibia, fractured knee. Severe internal bleeding, but the medi-gel keeps it from spreading. His right shoulder was dislocated and reinserted incorrectly. Dr. Chakwas had to clamp his auxiliary artery to stop the bleeding, which means he will lose his arm if the artery isn't repaired and blood flow restored soon. Don't worry, she repaired the artery. He just can't use it for a few hours until the blood circulation is proper again."

That he was still alive, let alone capable of fighting through those injuries back on Virmire, was a tantamount act of God. Of course, that's all Goliath's Project was about, wasn't it? Playing God for a greater good. John walked back to Dr. Chakwas and gently placed the datapad back. A single, sharp sound echoed through the Medical Bay. Doctor Chakwas' head shot up with the pillow sticking to her cheek and disabled the alarm. Jane turned to some scuffling next to her, watching Trevelyan pull himself up to sit up straight. Trevelyan felt every injury, pulled muscle, strained tendon and broken bone in his body as he sat up. Jane looked at him with a disapproving glare and pushed him back down. He didn't let her. He looked at Newt behind the Commander, who also sat up straight and rubbed her forehead. She was alive. Newt looked at him in relief and smiled. Trevelyan returned a rare bare smile. He shifted his body to the left and set his feet on the cold metal ground. Trevelyan just realized he didn't have his under armor on; just some standard Alliance medical clothing. It made him feel vulnerable. He got up, adjusted his position, and limped toward the door. Despite the fractured right knee, he refused to let his left leg touch the ground. Not without support. A hand firmly grasped on to his shoulder, then turned him around. Jane let out a frustrated sigh as he brushed her hand off his shoulder and turned back toward the door. She looked back at Doctor Chakwas who tended to Jenkins, and John who helped Chakwas with the injured, then back to Trevelyan. She risked going back to Dr. Chakwas. The door behind her whispered shut. It's not like there was anything _dangerous_ for him to bump into on the _SSV Normandy_.

"Dr. Chakwas, should we be worried about Trevelyan? He doesn't seem to care that much about his injuries," Jane said.

"I cannot say. He was awake during the whole operation on him, his augmentations filter out sedative effects. Sleep would probably work for him, though, I have no idea how to fatigue him," Chakwas replied. She returned to tending to Jenkins and injected morphine into his thigh. "Cold?"

"Nothing worth noting, ma'am," Jenkins replied calmly, then looked up to the Commanders. "Sorry, Commanders. I shouldn't have attacked the _big_ guy."

"Don't worry about it, Corporal," John replied, though he couldn't hide the on-the-mission voice. "You're relieved from the _SSV Normandy_ once we get to the Citadel."

Jenkins didn't voice a protest and simply nodded. There was nothing he could do with his lower body paralyzed. At least, nothing came to mind. He spurted out of the Medical Bay in his motorized wheelchair. Garrus followed him out, then Newt who let out one big yawn on the way. John scratched his chin and looked at Dr. Chakwas, who settled back behind her desk. His sister walked up to them, rubbed her furrowed brow, then crossed her arms. Doctor Chakwas grabbed a spoon and swirled it around in her cup of herbal tea. She took one sip from it and placed it back on the desk with a satisfied sigh.

"So, he needs to get sleep. Is that all?" Jane asked. Something told her that it was easier said than done, but it gave her more ideas to begin with.

"He needs to let his body rest to recover, though, none of our medications seem to work as they are filtered out of his body," Chakwas replied. "But yes, sleep."

"Good luck with that, sis. I'm going to talk to Liara," John told her, clapping Jane once on the shoulder and headed for the back of the Medical Bay.

"What, you don't have any suggestions, John?" She asked before he disappeared.

"You can always knock him out," John joked, though, he knew it wasn't well-received. His sister flung a biotic throw at him that hit the closing door.

"I'll see what I can do. Good night, Doctor," Jane said.

Dr. Chakwas waved at the Commander, then nestled her face back on the pillow. Jane wondered if Chakwas ever slept outside of the – her – Medical Bay. She glanced at the Mess Hall as she made her way toward the elevator. Williams and Alenko helped Jenkins while Tali and Garrus had a conversation in the background. She pressed the button to Deck Twelve – the only other place he ever was. The faint lights of the deck crept into the small opening of the elevator as the door slid up. Jane looked around the room, saw Newt sleeping in a bed, then met with Trevelyan who sat in a chair with both legs resting on the desk. He had a new set of under armor on, bag of ice on his face, and his arms crossed over his chest. The old bloodstained medical clothing laid folded on the desk next to him. Perhaps he was already asleep. The Commander silently walked up to him. She was never good at sneaking, so it was impressive for her that he didn't notice her yet.

"Trevelyan, are you all right?" She asked softly.

"Just fine, Jane," Trevelyan replied. His words were oddly muffled by the bag of ice covering his face.

"Doctor Chakwas says you should be sleeping," Jane continued. She inched closer, removed the bag of ice from his face, and sat down on the desk. She made sure she didn't hit his left shin. The cold of the ice sharpened his sight a little, and Trevelyan got a better look at Jane; her blood red hair, a few freckles around her nose, and light emerald eyes.

"I don't really like to sleep. Too many nightmares and unpleasant memories come up," he told her. He looked at her grabbing the stained shirt from the desk; a large stain of blood on the front and back. No doubt from the wound that pierced his chest. The sight alone made Trevelyan grimace and reach for his chest. Was it really that bad?

"I think I know of a way to make you sleep," Jane said in a sensual tone as she grabbed his hands, "and you'll love it. No nightmares and no unpleasant memories."

"Oh... No, I don't want you to do something like that just to get me to sleep. I'm fine..." He resisted.

"But I do, and I want to help you. Just let me," she replied, grabbing his hands again.

Trevelyan knew what she meant by that and he stopped resisting. Not that he could keep resisting in his current state. He quickly noticed she reached for her own side when she pulled him up. While her face was void of pain, he knew that instant she had an injury herself she kept from the others. Trevelyan cast a look at Newt, who peacefully slept, and turned to the Commander. Jane slowly guided him with her toward the elevator. The Mess Hall was empty. They peeked around the corner and their eyebrows shot up, surprised. John ran out of the Medical Bay, grabbed two glasses and a bottle of wine, and ran back. Trevelyan made an almost silent unpleasant sigh when he realized he wasn't one of those romantic types. But he could try something. He made a deft gentle pull with his hand, and the Commander spun around into him. Realizing what he was doing, Jane snaked her arms around his neck, then wrapped her legs around his waist. She brushed his ear with her lips and nibbled lightly at his earlobe. Jane was pretty sure she was having a notable effect on him; the way he was shifting uneasily as he carried her into the Captain's Quarters was an unmistakable sign. She was, however, uncertain as it could also have been his injuries taking another round at him. She undid her clothing, threw it on the chair behind them, and searched for ways to undo his under armor. Her fingers finally managed to undo his combat suit and she pulled it off, carefully making sure not to stress his injuries any further.

Trevelyan laid her down on the bed, and she rolled over on top of him. His hands roamed over her breasts as he slowly but steadily reached all over Jane's upper body, squeezing, massaging and teasing every exposed inch of her tender skin. The increasing frequency of her gasps brought him immense satisfaction. Licking her lips, she leaned in and kissed him lightly, eliciting a moan and a delicious shiver from Trevelyan. His dancing fingers wandered off a bit further down. Jane grabbed his hands and moved them even lower. She could feel the head of his member rubbing up and down between her lips, but not yet inside of her. It felt wonderful but the anticipation was killing her and she moved her hips backwards, pushing him into her. She leaned in closer, which caused her entire front to touch his body and she began rubbing her warm, soft chest against him. His hands still caressed her body, but he was careful to avoid the purple mark on her side. The two continued their dance for a little longer. Trevelyan decided to stop playing around and rolled over until he was on top. The sudden action caused Jane to let out of surprised gasp as she kneaded the comforter of the bed. Slowly and patiently, they both moved around in rhythm. Jane's lustful thoughts were intensified by a warm breath coming from Trevelyan, brushing on her neck. She could feel herself reach her limit. With a primal growl of lust, Jane reached for the reserves of strength she didn't know she had, surged forward, and fiercely pushed him down again. Trevelyan was only able to let out a strangled, high-pitched sound as she her hands pushed him down by his chest.

All Jane could do to choke out her scream of pleasure was by pressing her lips hardly against his, or someone on the _SSV Normandy_ would surely have been awakened and come to investigate the sudden noise. They reached for each other's hands as they climaxed, their fingers intertwining. It strained Trevelyan's tired mind and body to the extreme. Jane was very happy and yet too tired to show it. He had pulled her close to him almost like he read her thoughts of wanting to be held, sinking into a blissful sleep.

_Sometimes, I have this dream. Always the same dream. I dream I'm strong, stronger than anyone. Like you, just like you are._

The next morning greeted Jane with a satisfied smile and she went with her hand over her bruised side. It was a lighter purple and no longer as painful as yesterday. Trevelyan was still asleep next to her, his left arm hugging her. His expression was a mixture of both pain and exhaustion. Jane remembered pushing him down and hoped she didn't damage his injuries any further. She removed his arm, rolled over to face him, and went with her fingers over his chest. She gently pressed them against his ribs and felt the augmentations; thin lines of of a solid fiber weaved through and over his bones. Trevelyan's fingers unconsciously reacted to her touch. She chuckled as his fingers tickled her side. Her expression turned worried as she brushed with a single finger over the exit wound of the twisted metal. She was sure it'd heal after _some_ time. Jane rolled back over and placed his arm over her again. A little bit of extra rest for now wouldn't hurt.

"_Uh, Commander?_" Joker's voice suddenly rang over the COM speakers in the Captain's Quarters.

"Yes, Jeff?" Jane replied, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"_We've finished our repairs. We are heading for the Citadel now. ETA: Two hours,_" he replied.

"Good job, Joker," she complimented.

The COM snapped off. Jane closed her eyes again, pressed her face deeper into the pillow, then drifted away again. After a minute her light emerald eyes shot open. They're heading for the Citadel. She jumped out of her bed, waking Trevelyan up in the process. He cupped his head in his hands and then looked up at Jane, who threw his combat suit and clothing on the chair while she dressed herself.

"Did I do something?" Trevelyan asked, rubbing his forehead. Jane smiled, kissed him, and continued dressing up.

"The Normandy is en route to the Citadel. I need to find John and discuss our next move," Jane answered. She hurried up to the door and looked back at Trevelyan. "It was amazing last night."

"You were amazing," he said.

"Round two after I'm back?" She suggested.

"Deal."

Trevelyan watched her walk out of the Captain's Quarters, then let his upper body fall backward on the bed. He went with his hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head and closed his eyes. He mumbled something unintelligible, processing what Jane said. A grin spread over his face as he felt himself drift away again – something he hadn't felt in decades.


	25. Betrayal

**Betrayal**

* * *

Trevelyan geared up in his _old_ suit. Luckily, 'round two' wasn't as tiring as the first. In fact, he felt more energized. He weighed the armor of his forearm. It was light; no more than ten kilos. The helmet sealed off around his neck with a familiar hissing sound. The glowing light blue lights lit up on his armor. He wasn't sure if he could _walk_, let alone fight, despite the extra support on his leg – but there was only one way to find out. He took a big step forward, kicked, then did a jump. No pain in his left shin at all. At least, nothing worth noting. Trevelyan nodded, satisfied with the result, and strode toward the terminal. He could hear Newt's footsteps behind him and opened the outer speakers build in his helmet.

"How are you doing, Newt?" He asked.

"Just fine. My head doesn't hurt anymore or my arm," she told him. She noticed he visibly winced when she told him of it.

Newt took the opportunity to take a closer look at his armor. It was certainly not as bulky as his lifesupport suit. In fact, this suit wasn't even close to the term bulky; very slim and build to his body. If she didn't know any better she'd say it was specifically designed to him. Trevelyan walked up to his weapons, each step making loud _thuds_ as his boots clanged on the floor. He activated the stabilization dampeners in his boots and his steps turned silent. Newt continued to observe him. There was something . . . different about Trevelyan. Apart from his old-fashioned unreadable posture, he sounded happier than usual – more relaxed. She couldn't place it and set the thought aside for now. She took the Phalanx and sniper he handed her. Newt rested the sidearm on her hip and shouldered the _modified_ Krysae sniper rifle. It could switch between its standard explosive rounds and Newt's experimental pulse slugs. If Goliath and their tech specialists knew anything, it was modifying weapons to their own liking.

"I heard we are going to the Citadel Council. Something about reinforcements to go to Ilos," she said.

"Yeah, there's hopefully a fleet standing by to assist us," Trevelyan answered.

"Something tells me you feel something is wrong or at least disagree with something," Newt remarked upon hearing a tint of conflict in his voice.

"I don't think we need a fleet to go to Ilos. Don't get me wrong, help is always welcomed. A Geth fleet between us and Saren? I'd say we could sneak our way passed it. But," Trevelyan raised a gauntleted finger, "It'd require Joker to pull one of his crazy stunts off, and I'm not sure if either Commander is open to that."

"Agreed," Newt replied. "Wanna go to the Mess Hall? I believe everyone's gathering there."

"I'll be right behind you," Trevelyan replied. They stepped into the elevator, and he pressed the button to the Mess Hall. He tilted his head toward Newt and whispered: "Thanks for saving me back on Virmire."

"No problem. Couldn't leave you behind and let you die," she said. "I know you'd do the same for me."

"Of course I would. Newt, listen to me." Trevelyan directed his full attention to her. She could hear the serious tone in his voice and listened patiently. "I would give my life to protect you and keep you safe."

She couldn't help but smile at him, but prayed it would never come to that. It almost happened once and it scared her. Trevelyan was the closest person she had to a father and she came to see him as that. Newt gave him a hug in response. Before either one could speak they heard some voices on the other side of the elevator. The metal door slid up, and they could hear the voices better.

"...Come on, do we really have to do this?" Williams sighed.

"Look, we are not happy about it either, but the Ambassador ordered us," John replied. "Besides, I'm sure we can sneak some of our weapons through. This plan cannot fail."

The rest of the team in the Mess Hall threw a questioning glare back at the Commander. The group standing in the Mess Hall turned to Newt and Trevelyan who walked up to them. Kaidan let out a low whistle as he looked at Trevelyan walking with _no trouble_. The entire team had their armor on. Now that everyone was here, John continued and pointed his finger at Newt's and Trevelyan's weapons, then to the table where other rifles laid on. They checked the safety on their weapons, placed it on the table by the other, and nodded at the Commanders.

"All right," the Commander began and turned to the others. "We'll go to the Citadel Tower."

"Let's hope we actually get some real reinforcements," Garrus muttered.

They made their way up to toward the CIC and to the airlock. At the end of the tunnel stood five C-Sec guards; one of them with a hand-held scanner to search them. Both Commanders stepped forward to the Turian guard. Jane raised her hands and waited for him to finish the scan. The Turian nodded at her and gestured at her to go on. John did the same, raising his hands, and waited patiently. An alarm went off on the scanner, and every eye turned to the Commander. Jane shook her head impatiently at her brother.

"There are no weapons allowed, sir," the C-Sec guard stated flatly. John grabbed the canister from his belt and shook it.

"My own coffee recipe," John replied and leaned forward. "Far more dangerous."

The Turian watched John walk up to his sister and looked back at the others. He waved with two fingers at Trevelyan. The Bounty Hunter stepped forward, raised his arms, and ran a scan on the Turian without him even knowing it. The guard's heartbeat was fast – too fast. Nervous, perhaps? The C-Sec guard nodded at Trevelyan for him to continue on. Jenkins went last and rolled his wheelchair toward the Turian. He scanned the Corporal, and the scanner went haywire. The Turian twitched his mandibles, confused, then looked at Jenkins.

"Do you want to check the chair?" Jenkins asked and spurted into the elevator.

The C-Sec guard watched the group leaving in the elevator. The group watched the Turian C-Sec guard disappear as the elevator took them down. While on the way down John opened some ports build in Jenkins' motorized wheelchair and grabbed their sidearms from it. The elevator door slid open when they arrived. They were just in time to conceal their weapons from the welcoming committee. Jenkins split ways with the group, going with a group of medical personnel from the Huerta Memorial Hospital. The rest arrived at the Citadel Tower. It was the same as ever; politicians and high-ranking officers dealing with their personal affairs. They hurried up the stairs in a brisk pace and made their way toward the Citadel Council, who waited for them to join the meeting. Ambassador Udina, however, looked sour. The Commanders looked around them, noticing Captain Anderson was absent. It was odd, he never missed a meeting before.

"Good job, Commanders. Thanks to your efforts, the Council's finally taking real action against Saren!" Ambassador Udina thanked, but there was something _off_ about his words.

"The Ambassador is correct. If Saren is foolish enough to attack the Citadel – as you believe – we will be ready for him," Councilor Tevos told them.

"Patrols are stationed at every Mass Relay linking Citadel Space to the Terminus Systems," Councilor Sparatus added.

"You think a blockade's going to stop him? He's on Ilos looking for the Conduit right now! What are you doing about that?" John replied.

"Ilos is only accessible through the Mu Relay, deep inside the Terminus Systems, Commander. If we send a fleet in there, the only possible outcome is full-scale war," Councilor Valern explained. It was, however, indeed the only logical outcome if they'd send a fleet in.

"Now is the time for discretion, Commanders. Saren's greatest weapon was secrecy. Exposed, he is no longer a threat. This is over," Udina added, bolstering the Council's side.

"One ship going into the Terminus Systems won't start a war. We can be discreet," Jane suggested.

"You detonated a nuclear device on Virmire. I wouldn't call that discreet!" Sparatus growled.

"Your styles served you well in the Traverse, Commanders. But Ilos requires a deft touch. We have the situation under control," Tevos added.

"Secrecy isn't his greatest weapon. The Conduit is!" John barked. Sparatus was about to voice his words when the Commander's glare leveled high enough to make him back off this time.

"Saren is a master manipulator. The Conduit is just a distraction from his real plan to attack the Citadel," Valern said, though, it was just an assumption on his part and he didn't want to admit that.

"Sovereign's the real threat! Saren is just a servant of the Reapers," every team member said in chorus.

"Only you have seen the Reapers, and then only in visions. We won't invade the Terminus Systems because of a dream," Tevos said.

"If Saren finds the Conduit, we're all screwed. We have to go to Ilos!"

"Ambassador Udina, I get the sense the Commanders aren't willing to let this go," Sparatus sneered.

"There are serious political implications here, Commanders. Humanity's made great gains thanks to you. But now you two are becoming more trouble than you're worth," Udina snapped. "It's just politics, Commanders. You've done your job, now let me do mine. We've locked out all the _Normandy's_ primary systems. Until further notice, you are all grounded."

"Like hell you are!"

John brought his sidearm to bear and brought it to the Ambassador's face, who flinched back. The rest of the team raised their own at C-Sec guards taking cover down the stairs. When more C-Sec guards swarmed into the area, Williams shifted the barrel of her pistol to the Citadel Council. She half expected the C-Sec guards to take a shot at her, but they chose not to as the team stood near the Citadel Council. John clenched his jaw and he pushed Udina back into the railing. He gave the Ambassador a _you're-not-worth-it_ look before lowering his pistol. Councilor Tevos raised her hand calmly at the C-Sec guards to lower their weapons and allow the Commanders through. The Ambassador straightened his clothing from where the Commander held him, watching them leave.

"_Commanders, I just heard what happened. I have a message from Captain Anderson,_" Joker said over the COM.

"What is it?" John grumbled.

"_Only said to meet him at that club in the Wards: Flux,_" Joker replied.

"Roger that, Joker. We'll go there now."

The COM snapped off. John scratched his chin while the elevator took them back to the Presidium. Surely it had to be something important, otherwise Captain Anderson wouldn't want to talk. It better be important. None of them were in the mood for some _catching up_ talk. Ilos took priority. The team looked around them on the Presidium.

"Now what do we do?" Kaidan asked.

"Jane and I will talk to Captain Anderson," John answered. "You guys spread around the Citadel, see what you can dig up on Saren or anything."

The team didn't object and disappeared into the crowds. When every person was beyond the reach of their radars, the Commanders walked to another elevator and took it up to the Wards. Jane rested her hands on her hips, walked thoughtfully around the elevator, and watched the seamless metal walls slide down as the elevator went up. There was a subtle shift in the gravity when the elevator arrived. John noticed his sister mumbled something unintelligibly, then grinned from ear to ear as they walked out. His brow furrowed, curious. He squelched the thought to speak and silently walked with her toward Flux. The drums and techno music echoed through the hallways. It wasn't something they liked. They preferred more... relaxing music. The Commanders stepped into the bar and searched around. Captain Anderson sat by a table and gestured at them to come over.

"I'm glad you came, Commanders. I heard what happened," Anderson told them.

"They pulled us off the mission. Just like when they forced you to give up the Normandy," Jane said as she sat down.

"I know. I'm sorry. I wanted to warn you two, but there was no way to get a message to you before you docked," Anderson replied. He leaned forward. "I know you two are pissed off right now, but you can't give up. They all think its over, but we know it's not. You two have to go to Ilos. You have to stop Saren from using the Conduit!"

"There's only one ship that can get us into the Terminus Systems undetected, and she's grounded," John sighed.

"Citadel Control's locked out all the Normandy's systems. But if we override the Ambassador's orders we can get them to bring the Normandy back on-line," the Captain explained. "You can be in the Terminus Systems before anyone even knows you're gone."

"If we steal the _SSV Normandy_, you're the one left holding the bag," Jane replied with a tint of concern in her voice.

"And if Saren finds the Conduit, life as we know it is over. The Reapers will destroy us. Humans, Asari, everybody! You are the only ones who can stop him, Shepard. So I'll do whatever it takes to get you on the Normandy and off this station."

"Hold on. Stealing the Normandy is mutiny. What if the crew won't help us?" John asked.

"The Normandy's your ship now, Commanders. Her crew will follow you to the ends of the Galaxy. We both know that," Anderson told them with absolute certainty.

"I won't forget this, Captain. I promise," Jane thanked.

"I won't forget it either, Captain," John added with a nod.

"I can unlock the _SSV Normandy_ from one of the consoles in the Citadel Control Center. You'll have a few minutes before anyone realizes what's happened," Anderson suggested.

"That's a restricted area patrolled by armed guards. You're going to get yourself killed. There has to be another way," both Commanders said in unison.

"Ambassador Udina issued the lockdown order. If I can hack into the computer in his office, maybe I can override it. Hopefully, he won't be there. If he is, I'll just have to think of something," Anderson replied.

"While it is a capital offense, I think you'll have a better chance if you go after the Ambassador's computer," John suggested. The Captain and he looked at Jane, who nodded.

"I was hoping you'd say that. The Ambassador has made this personal." They got out of their seats. "I'll take care of the lockdown. You get down to the Normandy and tell Joker to stand by."

The Commanders saluted the Captain before they hurried back to the elevator. On the way Jane sent a message to everybody else, and acknowledgment lights replied. In no less than three minutes everybody gathered by the Dock. They walked into the _SSV Normandy_ in a brisk pace and took up their stations. John and Jane stood in the cockpit, accompanying Joker who kept a close eye on the ship's primary systems. It was still in lockdown. They hoped Captain Anderson wouldn't get into trouble.

The door of the Human Embassy whispered open and parted in two. Ambassador Udina looked up at Captain Anderson who walked in. The Captain had a deadly calm look in his eyes – a look he only had when in the heat of battle. The door whispered shut. Udina kept his stare locked on Anderson, sweat started to pour down his face, and he managed to muster enough confidence to speak.

"Anderson? What are you doing here?" Ambassador Udina asked. Captain Anderson replied with silence as he advanced on Udina who didn't dare to move, let alone step out of his chair. Udina raised a hand to Anderson and shook his head. "I didn't send for–"

Before the Ambassador could finish his sentence, Anderson knocked him out with a single deft punch. He pushed the unconscious Ambassador out of the way and activated the computer. Anderson searched through all orders issued by Ambassador Udina until he found the one he needed: _SSV Normandy_ lockdown. He removed the order, and unlocked the Normandy's primary systems. The Captain looked up at the sound of footsteps walking into the Human Embassy. C-Sec Officers loyal to Captain Anderson escorted him out, pretending to take him into custody.

Back on the _SSV Normandy_, Joker and the Commanders patiently continued to wait. The small orange holographic circle on the dash snapped to a bright green. The ship's primary systems came back to life and the docking arms released them.

"Let's go. Get us out of here, Joker. Now!" John said.

Joker tugged the rim of his cap and reached for the controls. The _SSV Normandy_ moved back, pulled a sharp turn, and activated their thrusters to its highest speed as they raced away from the Citadel. The nebula around the Citadel became a distant cloud, and Joker sent them to a planet where they would probably be safe for a while. Arcadia. The ship drifted motionlessly in space while the team gathered in the COM Room. They were still geared up and ready for action.

"_I can't believe we stole the Normandy! Hopefully, they'll send some ships to find us, I really want to try some stunts!_" Joker said over the COM.

"Not in a million years, Joker. Plot a course to Ilos," John ordered.

"_Roger that, Commander. ETA: Two hours._"

"I know two hours isn't a lot, but get some rest," Jane added. "Crew dismissed."

The Commanders stayed in the COM Room, reflecting on what they did – and what they let Captain Anderson do. Mutiny. Treason. They were traitors now. They even thought they shouldn't be wearing their uniforms anymore. No, they had to do this. Both Commanders got out of their seats and walked down the CIC toward the Mess Hall. The rest of their team had themselves gathered around the table, each doing their own thing. It felt like they were more a family than teammates watching each other's backs. John and Jane joined the rest of their team by the table, joining the conversations.


	26. Race Against Time

**Race Against Time**

* * *

The artificial tunnel around the _SSV Normandy_ dissipated, and the millions of stars of the Pangaea Expanse filled the blackness around them. The ship moved toward Ilos. Geth ships circled around its orbit. The Commanders and their team gathered in the cockpit, getting a better view of Ilos. A cold feeling turned their stomachs upside down. There were dozens of Geth ships – too many for them to handle. Joker snapped his attention to a red triangle flashing on the dash. He tapped his finger on the triangle. The strands of data took the shape of four Geth Dropships that altered their flight path toward the _SSV Normandy_, then five more. Part of Joker filled with excitement. It was a nice challenge. The other part warned him to keep everyone safe. Joker activated the stealth systems of the ship, and after a few seconds the Geth Dropships returned to their former positions. He rubbed the rim of his cap and focused back on the mission at hand.

"Uh... Commanders? We've got company," Joker told them.

"Have their sensors picked us up yet?" Liara asked, concerned. She was impressed how both Commanders could look danger and certain death in the eye without flinching. Back on Therum, they fought off a Krogan Battle Master and now near Ilos just as calm.

"Stealth systems are engaged. Unless we get close enough for a visual, they won't have any idea we're here," Joker explained.

"Picking up some strange readings from the planet's surface," Navigator Pressly notified.

"Take us down, Joker. Lock in on the coordinates," John ordered calmly.

"Negative on that, Commander. The nearest landing zone's two klicks away," Pressly replied.

"We'll never make it in time on foot. Get us something closer!" Ashley shouted, surprising everyone with her sudden raised voice.

"There is nowhere closer! I've looked!" Pressly snapped back at her.

"We can go in with the Mako," Trevelyan suggested. He already calculated there was nowhere near enough room to actually land in the Mako, but he was confident Joker could pull it off.

"You would need at least a hundred meters of open terrain to pull off a drop like that. The most I can find near Saren is twenty," Pressly sighed.

"That's more than enough," Trevelyan replied, confident.

"Trevelyan, are you crazy? There's no way we can pull off a drop like that," Tali purred. "The descent angle's too steep!"

"This is insane. It's a suicide run! We don't–"

"I can do it," Joker cut in, his normal and playful voice serious and calm. They never heard him like this before.

"Joker?" Both Commanders asked in unison.

"I _can_ do it," he said again with a deadly calm voice.

"Everyone, head down to the Mako. Joker – drop us right on top of the bastard," Jane ordered.

Joker took off his cap and placed it next to him. The _SSV Normandy_ continued its descent toward the coordinates and cut through the atmosphere of Ilos in a sharp angle downward. He could feel the immense feeling of challenge taking over in his body, sharpening his senses even further. Back on the surface of Ilos, Saren marched with his Geth down the tunnel. He twitched his mandibles once when he felt something and snapped his head toward the sound of rumbling engines. He looked at the _SSV Normandy_ racing down on his position. The Spectre jerked his head back to the Geth, then raised two fingers.

"You two, keeping moving. Inside. Now!" Saren barked at them.

He continued to keep his eyes locked on the ship closing in on them with its underbelly opening. The nose of the _SSV Normandy_ moved up as the Mako launched out of the Cargo Hold. Saren unconsciously took several more steps further into the tunnel. Just before the door slid closed, he could see right through the Mako's stained glass into the Commanders eyes. The giant door shut just before they could make it through. The team stormed out of the Mako, securing the perimeter and checked the door.

"We have to get inside this bunker before Saren finds the Conduit!" Liara said. She continued to inspect the door for any weaknesses. None. "There is no way we're getting past that door with brute force."

"Saren found a way to open it. There must be some kind of security override somewhere in this complex," Garrus told them.

"All right. Let's not waste any time," John ordered and pointed at the road behind them.

It was too small for them to take the Mako and they proceeded on foot. A single Geth Trooper leaned out of cover to fire at them. Wrex brought his shotgun to bear and blasted the synthetic into dozens of tiny pieces. Jane ran ahead, pointed two fingers at Trevelyan and Newt, then to higher ground. They could hear two thrusters, and their radars showed them move to higher ground. Williams and Alenko covered them as they progressed ahead. A Geth snapped around the corner. Garrus headbutted it back. Its shields faded and the exterior of the Geth crackled beneath the force of the blow. The team advanced into an open area. Two red outlines tagged on their heads-up display, showing two Geth Armatures. The ghostly Geth plasma soared through the air, and the team barely managed to dodge the incoming blasts. One of the blasts passed John, whose heat levels raised just a mere twenty degrees. One of the red diamond shaped markers on their radar flashed and snapped to green.

Tali had herself bunkered down near the Geth Armatures and waved at the rest to push on. Red blips on their radars snapped off. Trevelyan and Newt jumped down the broken plateau and rendezvoused ahead with the Commanders by the corner. Liara looked around her at the Prothean ruins and mumbled something unintelligibly, wondering if she could ever come back to study this place. A few more red blips came within the reach of their radars. Jane flashed five fingers at the team, then aimed her hand at the hallway ahead. John snapped his finger to Liara, Ashley, Garrus and Tali to go with him toward the hallway. He kept a close eye on the Geth that were oblivious to their presence as his sister and the rest got into position. A luminescent green light winked on John's heads-up display, and his team snapped to action.

Both teams attacked simultaneously and aggressively advanced on the Geth. The Geth themselves were unable to retaliate and went down in less than a minute – but they managed to sent a signal to the other Geth nearby. Jane's team took cover behind the broken pillars, being the first ones spotted by the new hostiles, and moved to another position when the ruins started to crack at the force of the gunfire. John's side climbed to higher ground, joining the gunfight and redirecting the fight. The ruins around them served both sides; broken pillars and walls spread around the area. Geth Hoppers fell out of the air as Garrus took them down. John spurted ahead toward a Geth Prime. Trevelyan covered the Commander by leaping over the rubble, grabbing two distracted Geth by their optics, and slammed them into the ground. The rest spread around, taking down the remaining stragglers.

"Clear!" Williams shouted.

Multiple _clear_ signs winked on the Commanders heads-up displays. The team gathered in an elevator to their right. It wasn't as small as it looked at first, and they all fit in. Tali patched up a minor suit rupture with the assistance of Garrus. One of her glowing eyes narrowed, scanned the elevator, and she ran a scan on her Omni-Tool.

"This place still has power. It must be running off its own generator," Tali purred.

"This must be the command center for the entire complex. Saren's troops must have sealed the doors from here after he went inside. We will have to figure out how to disengage the security lockdown if we ever want to get inside that bunker," Liara explained. "It is incredible that this generator is still functional after thousands of years. The Protheans were capable of great technological achievements – even if they didn't create the Mass Relays and Citadel."

"Their technology was rivaled by other species, though," Trevelyan cut in. "Our flagships are salvaged Thoi'han starships. Deadly accurate FTL and capable to fighting several Prothean Dreadnoughts to one."

"The Thoi'han?" Liara asked.

"An old space-faring species that existed at the same time as the Protheans. I'll explain some other time," he replied.

The elevator door whispered open and parted in two. They progressed down the overgrown hallway until they reached another open area. The radar jammed. The team brought their weapons to bear and took up defensive positions. John waved his hand at Wrex and Tali, then to cover dead ahead. The two silently ghosted toward the rubble. Jane signaled Ashley and Kaidan to move to cover to their right. A single burst of red energy contacted with Garrus' chest. They returned fire at the advancing squad of Geth Prime. A Geth Destroyer landed a blow on Newt's midsection and pushed her against the wall. It held her by her neck, exerting pressure on it. She focused on the biotic throw she had been practicing earlier. The blast left both her palms, sending the Geth Destroyer back into rubble behind it, impaling it. Tali hacked into the Armature Repair Stations, hacking into its system. The Armatures came to life and attacked the squad of Geth Prime. The two Armatures made quick work of the remaining hostiles, and smoldering Geth remains littered the ruins.

John checked the biosigns of the team; all their statuses were a steady green. He and Jane took point up the stairs. They and their team lowered their guard when the room was clear. Jane pressed some buttons on the green holographic panel of the terminal. It took the shape of a distorted hologram. It didn't look like any species they knew this day.

"Saren already has a headstart. We have to go find him before he reaches the Conduit," Liara urged.

"Unless he's already found it. Then we're just walking into a trap," Garrus added.

"It's a trap!" Wrex said, joking about the situation.

"_...Too late... unable to... invading fleets... no escape..._" a distorted voice cut in.

"Sounds like some kind of message. But I don't recognize the language," Ashley said.

"It's a transmission... or a warning, but badly damaged. Most is just static," Trevelyan answered.

"It is probably in Prothean. This recording must be 50.000 years old. No wonder most of us cannot understand it," Liara added, eying Trevelyan.

"The message is all broken up, but I recognize some of the words. It's a warning against the Reaper invasion," Jane told them.

"Of course. Between the Beacons and the Cipher, an understanding of the Prothean language would have been transferred into your minds," Liara said.

"_...Ot safe... seek refuge ...side the archives,_" the hologram continued.

"What's it saying? Can you make out anything useful?" Garrus asked, twiching his mandibles curiously. Neither Commanders or Trevelyan answered.

"_...Alled Reapers... the Citadel... ...Overwhelmed... Only hope... act of desperation... the Conduit... all is lost. Cannot be stopped... Cannot be stopped..._"

"It said something about the Conduit, but it's too degraded to help. We should go."

They didn't waste any further time here, and headed back down the stairs. There was a single hallway leading to another elevator ahead of them. Whether it just activated or was already active, they couldn't say. It took them back up to the upper area. The sun crept into the openings as the door opened. They recognized the area; it was the beginning near the Mako. The team raced back toward the parked vehicle. It sat there, waiting for them to return.

"Who votes we take the vehicle into the creepy, underground bunker?" Kaidan joked.

"Good idea. It should come in handy if we want to watch some explosions." Wrex replied.

Jane settled back behind the controls of the Mako and brought the vehicle online. She looked over her shoulder at the rest of the team buckling up, then back to the tunnel ahead. It was indeed creepy; dark and unsettling. She set her fear aside and drove into the tunnel. The vehicle bumped over some broken tree branches and rubble and they entered the underground bunker.

"I have spent my life studying the Protheans, but I never dreamed I would discover anything like this!" Liara remarked. She looked around her at the others, who stayed silent. "This bunker might have been the last refuge of their entire species. Just imagine what mysteries it might hold. Imagine what secrets it might reveal!"

"Does your scientific side have an off-switch?" The team asked in chorus.

Liara didn't voice a protest to that. They were probably right. Most she ever did was talk about the Protheans and how she spent her life studying them. A tranquil silence settled in the Mako as it continued onward. Jane hit the thrusters of the Mako, dodging incoming rockets. When the vehicle safely landed on the ground, John hit the main gun and annihilated the Geth Rocket Troopers ahead. There weren't any further Geth present in the facility – which seemed odd. Did Saren not expect them to get this far? A bright, orange light ahead snapped them out of the thought. Its strong glow weakened with each meter they advanced on it until it didn't hurt their eyes. Behind them another orange barrier flickered up, trapping them inside.

"Was this supposed to happen?" Newt asked.

"It's a trap! Saren must have set an ambush," Garrus said, his voice brittle and cold.

"I do not think Saren is behind this," Liara added calmly.

There was a door to their right, and the team stepped out of the Mako. They stepped into another elevator that moved down. The brown, weathered walls moved as they silently waited. Liara almost let her scientific curiosity get the better of her, but managed to squelch it. Jane went with her armored gauntlet through her blood red hair, moving it back behind her ear. They went incredibly far down. It took them two minutes to reach the next level. There was a single, small balcony that reached the other end of the room. The team struggled as there was just enough room for them to all stand on it. Another hologram, not as badly damaged as the previous one, stood before them.

"You are not Prothean. But you are not machine, either. This eventuality was one of many that was anticipated. This is why we sent our warning through the Beacons," the Prothean hologram spoke.

"Looks like some kind of V.I. program. Pretty badly damaged," Williams remarked.

"I do not sense the taint of indoctrination upon any of you. Unlike the other that passed recently. Perhaps there is still hope," it continued.

"This is incredible. An actual Prothean V.I., and I can understand it!" Liara remarked.

"I have been monitoring your communications since you arrived at this facility. I have translated my output into a format you will comprehend," the V.I. continued. "My name is Vigil. You are safe here, for the moment. But that is likely to change. Soon, nowhere will be safe."

"Are you some kind of Artificial Intelligence program?" John asked.

"I am an advanced non-organic analysis system with personality imprints from Ksad Ishan, Chief Overseer of the Ilos research facility," Vigil answered.

"Why did you bring us here?" Jane asked.

"You must break the Cycle that has continued for millions of years. But to stop it, you must understand or you will make the same mistakes we did," Vigil explained. "The Citadel is the heart of your civilization and the seat of government. As it was with us, and as it has been with every civilization that came before us. But the Citadel is a trap. The station is actually an enormous Mass Relay. One that links to Dark Space, the empty void beyond the Galaxy's horizon. When the Citadel Relay is activated, the Reapers will pour through. And all you know will be destroyed."

"The Reapers can wipe out the Council and the entire Citadel fleet in a single surprise attack!" John snapped, surprised.

"That was our fate. Our leaders were dead before we even realized we were under attack. The Reapers seized control of the Citadel and through it, the Mass Relays," Vigil replied. "Communications and transportation across our empire were crippled. Each star system was isolated, cut off from others. Easy prey for the Reaper fleets. Over the next decades, the Reapers systematically obliterated our people. World by world, system by system, they methodically wiped us out."

"The war was lost. If you had surrendered, they might have let you live," Jane said, humoring the thought that Saren was, after all, maybe right. Though, it seemed far fetched.

"No offer of surrender was ever given. Our enemy had a single goal: the extinction of all advanced organic life," Vigil replied. "Through the Citadel, the Reapers had access to all our records, maps, census data. Information is power, and they knew everything about us. Their fleets advanced across every settled region of the Galaxy. Some worlds were utterly destroyed. Others were conquered, their populations enslaved."

"We are here to stop Saren and Sovereign from getting to the Conduit. We are not here to listen to 50.000 years of history that would take a year to hear. Can you please, _please_, get to the point?" Wrex cried, bored of the history lesson. Others silently agreed with him.

"You said you brought us here for a reason. Tell us what we need to do," Jane added.

"The Conduit is the key. Before the Reapers attacked, we Protheans were on the cusp of unlocking the mysteries behind Mass Relay technology," Vigil replied. "Ilos was a top secret research facility. Here, researchers worked to create a small-scale version of a Mass Relay. One that linked directly to the Citadel: the hub of the Relay network."

"Ugh, you're kidding, right? You Protheans build a backdoor to the Citadel?" Williams snapped.

"We cannot waste any more time!" Tali added.

"There is a data file in my console. Take a copy when you go. When you reach the Citadel's master control unit, upload it to the station. It will corrupt the Citadel's security protocols and give you temporary control over the station. It might give you a chance against Sovereign. This data file also contains all information on the Protheans and what we had learned from the Reapers," Vigil said, urging them to hurry.

"Wait. Where's the Citadel's master control unit? I've never heard of anything like that," Garrus asked.

"Through the Conduit. Follow Saren. He will lead you to your destination. The one you call Saren has not reached the Conduit. Not yet. There is still hope if you hurry."

John nodded and took a copy of the data file. Vigil silently watched the group of ten disappear into the elevator and beyond his sight. John inspected the file and felt someone look at him. Liara had her eyes locked on the data file. He handed it her with a sigh, allowing her to make a copy of it, too. The elevator door whispered open, and they hurried back into the Mako. The orange glow was gone. There were five weird looking objects ahead that registered as vehicles. Jane snapped her finger to Trevelyan and Newt, then to the vehicles. They stepped out of the Mako and walked up to it.

"What are those things?" Jane asked.

"_Combat suits, Commander. Big combat suits. Should we take them, or leave them here?_"


	27. Sacrifice

_**What are you prepared to sacrifice?**_

* * *

Trevelyan walked up to the two suits with his rifle raised, and Newt falling in behind him. Scans indicated the suits had no active energy signatures. He lowered his guard, shouldered the weapon, and nodded at Newt to relax. She shouldered her M-7 Lancer and approached the other dormant piece of machinery. Newt's gauntleted hand brushed over the smooth surface of the suit, wiping away a thin layer of dust. Trevelyan inspected it even closer. The hull was smooth and seamless. It reminded him of the two Geth Prototypes, as he nicknamed them, from Eden Prime – but bulkier and armed to the teeth. He tapped some controls in the panel next to them, and the suits came to life. The Commander hailed him over the COM. Trevelyan entered the channel and continued inspecting the machinery with Newt.

"_What are those things?_" Jane asked.

"Combat suits, Commander. Big combat suits. Should we take them, or leave them here?"

He could faintly hear the Commanders argue in the background. Trevelyan focused back on the holographic panel and brought the primary systems online and activated all subroutines. The Geth must've been developing more mobile tank-based troops. But for what purpose? He deleted all protocols and links to the Geth Central Hub, and switched controls to manual. The exterior hissed, parted in four, and showed an operator's seat inside.

"_Let's take them. We can always use some extra firepower,_" John answered after the argument. "_Trevelyan, you and Newt will operate them. Learn fast because we only have twenty minutes until the Conduit becomes unstable and closes. __Destroy the other three._"

"We've got your six," Trevelyan assured. He tapped in a self-destruct sequence in the other three build, setting it to twenty minutes. "Self-destruct initiated. All data the Geth used is deleted, too."

He looked at Newt and nodded once at her. She entered the other suit, strapped the harness shut, and settled in the seat. There was enough room for her to make herself comfortable. The suit made a hissing sound as the exterior closed around her until the hull became seamless. Strands of data ran materialized in front of Newt, then took the shape of a screen; a direct link from the optics build in its head. Her armored gauntlets hovered over the controls, then selected a full-diagnosis scan of the weapons. Two thick beams of light illuminated the walls of the tunnel, and the Mako drove toward them. Trevelyan brought the arms of the suit to bear, aiming at a wall. The wrist-mounted, plasma-based rail guns sprung to life and fired. It went clean through the wall, leaving smoldering holes behind. He nodded, satisfied with the result. The Commander hailed them, and two small screens flickered on the Mako's dash. Trevelyan and Newt nodded at the Commanders over the video feed.

"I hope you two are ready," Jane told them.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Newt replied.

"Don't do anything foolish, Newt," Trevelyan warned.

The team pressed on. The Mako drove ahead with Newt and Trevelyan falling in behind them. Well, they couldn't exactly fall in. The speed of their suits was fast enough for them to _walk_ next to the Mako. The vehicle drove off the edge, bumped, and landed down on lower ground where the road continued. Trevelyan and Newt both jumped down the three-story high edge. They continued down the road until a few red blips appeared on the radar. Trevelyan reacted slightly faster. The gunfire thundered in the air as it tore apart the Geth resistance ahead. Jane steered to the right, avoiding incoming Geth plasma fire from a Geth Colossus. The ghostly substance impacted on Newt's combat suit's shielding that flared up around her while she dealt with some Geth Prime. It barely did a thing – only a tenth of her shielding went down, then regenerated after five seconds. She snapped to the Geth Colossus ahead and fired a single missile at it from its shoulder. It impacted on the Colossus' optics. John took advantage of the blinded Geth, manually engaged the Geth Colossus, and annihilated it. When the gunfire died around them, they ran some scans on their statuses, then the team continued ahead through the winding road.

A dozen rockets impacted on the Mako's shielding as it drove around the corner. The shields flared up, then stayed steady at seventy-two percent. They barely managed to avoid the next incoming barrage. The Geth Rocket Troopers halted their continuous wave of attacks when they got a clear line of sight with the two combat suits. An overload of messages ran down the screens. Trevelyan risked a peek at them and changed the output to a language he could understand. The ticking noises suddenly turned into low growls. _Heretic!Heretic!Heretic!Heretic!Heretic!Heretic!Heretic!Heretic!Heretic!Heretic!_ He turned off all incoming messages from the Geth COM frequency. Newt blew the Geth squad ahead of them apart and sent an all-clear sign to the Commanders. They took a minute to bring the Mako's shielding back up to a hundred percent before continuing. Trevelyan reverted his previous action, reopened the Geth COM frequency, and hacked into the deepest layers. He peeled off several encrypted layers until Trevelyan could hear nothing but static: No Geth COM traffic. Stealth COM frequencies seemed to be the Geth's repertoire.

"_Mako back up to full strength. Trevelyan, Newt, fall in behind us,_" John said over the COM.

Acknowledgment lights winked on the vehicle's dash. The water rippled as the Mako spurted forward. It was quiet – too quiet. The Geth never retreated from a battle. Their numbers always surpassed the others. A cold feeling turned their stomachs upside down as they realized what was going on. The Geth weren't retreating, they're regrouping. They drove around the corner and down another ramp. Geth Dropships circled in the air ahead of them, assisted by dozens of Geth Colossus and Primes. Their eyes scanned the whole area ahead of them, then locked with a small Mass Relay build on the ground. The Conduit. Liara inched forward and pointed at the Conduit.

"There! The Conduit! It is incredible!" She said, caught in the moment.

"We don't have time to admire the view. We have to get through that Relay... and these Geth aren't going to make it easy for us," Garrus snapped. He couldn't deny that the Conduit was a sight to behold, but they were here for more important things. Perhaps some other time they could return when this war was over.

"There is no way we can get past that army," Tali purred.

"Trevelyan to the Commanders. Ignore the Geth, I'll hold them off," Trevelyan told them. "Head straight for the Conduit. Newt, you follow them."

"There is no way you'll take them all down, let alone come through it," Jane barked back at him.

"Victory costs. Every time, you pay a little more. Besides," Trevelyan looked at the Mako, "You have something, Commanders. Something the Reapers will never have or understand."

"No, there has to be another way," Jane cut in.

"There is no other choice, the mission cannot be jeopardized," John replied.

The Commanders cast a look at Trevelyan's combat suit walking ahead of them, then activated the Mako's engines. The suit accelerated, charged up to a Geth Colossus, and tackled it down. Trevelyan planted a grenade on its back and doubled back at another one. The Colossus exploded in a brilliant orange glow, blue energy dancing in the air around it. The Geth Dropships shifted their attention from Trevelyan to the Mako and opened fire. Trevelyan snapped to them, used his shoulder-mounted cannon to home in on the ships, and opened fire. One of the missiles shot clean through the ship and did a series of arcs in the air to hit the Geth Dropship again. The thundering gunfire continued without rest. Before a squad of Geth Prime could get a clear shot at the Mako, Newt blew them up. Jane sent her silent thank you to Newt and focused back on the winding road. Three Geth Dropships crashed on the ground, crushing numerous Geth underneath it.

"We're closing in on the Conduit. Trevelyan, get here," Jane barked over the COM.

"_Get... Conduit! ...Closing–_"

The COM cut off into crackling static. Newt snapped back to Trevelyan, who took a series of blasts before taking down three more Colossus. The remaining Geth Dropship caught him off guard and hit him with a torpedo normally used in ship-to-ship combat. The combat suit slammed into the rubble of a crashed ship behind it. The Commander looked at the time left: Two minutes. There wasn't enough time. John reached for the controls as his sister couldn't. The Mako drove toward the Conduit and it entered the artificial tunnel. The blue tunnel spanned into the air, and reflected on Trevelyan's deep blue visor. It took him a moment to realize he wasn't inside the suit. It ejected him before the torpedo hit it, but he could feel a burning pain spread over his chest. Some smoke came out of the emergency vents of his armor. He groaned as he struggled up and looked at a Geth Dropship move in on him with a dozen Colossus and Prime. The ship looked like an oversized hornet without wings. The silent engines pushed Trevelyan back down on the ground, immobilizing him. It slowly charged up its main weapon systems as it moved dangerously close to him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push himself up.

A single missile tore through the hull of the Geth Dropship, and it crashed into the ground to his right. The remaining Geth opened fire on the second Combat Suit user. They landed some lucky hits on Newt's suit, causing it to malfunction. Its movements stopped and it fell on its back. The suit smoldered as it opened slightly and smoke trailed out of the openings. The metal of the crashed ships started to groan. Trevelyan looked back at the timer of the Conduit's stability: One minute. It became increasingly unstable and its gravitational pull increased, pulling rubble into the Conduit. A thousand arms pulled on Trevelyan's body as he got caught in the pull. His gauntleted hand managed to grab hold of a crack in the road, keeping him safe... for now. He snapped his head to Newt's immobile suit and opened a COM channel to her. A piece of rubble hit his hand and he lost his grip and slid toward the Conduit again. He tried to grab hold of anything in his path and held on to a boulder with his right hand. Trevelyan jerked his head back to Newt, watching rubble crash into the suit. It wouldn't be long until the Conduit would pull her into it.

"Newt?! Newt, get out of there!" Trevelyan yelled at the top of his lungs.

"_I... I can't! This harness is stuck!_" Newt replied, fear brimming in her voice.

His grip on the boulder weakened. The Conduit pulled Trevelyan off the boulder, back on the ground, and his body slammed into Newt's immobile suit. The Conduit caught the immobile suit, and it slowly slid over the ground toward it. He crawled his way up the suit, searching for ways to open it. Trevelyan raised his right arm to block an incoming boulder. His shields flared up, faded, and didn't regenerate. He set his fingers in the thin openings of the hull, prying it open.

"Newt! Hold on, I'll get you out!" He replied. With all his remaining strength, he tore the hull apart with his arms, freeing Newt. Well, partially freeing her.

"There's no time. We're too late. The Conduit is about to close," Newt told him, fiddling with her harness. He looked at the time: Thirty seconds. They can make it. They _will_ make it.

"I'm going to get you out of there!" Trevelyan risked grabbing his combat knife to cut through the harness. He lost his grip and nearly slid off the suit. Newt held him with her free arm, trying to pull him back up.

"Trevelyan, hold on!" Newt pulled him up.

He managed to cut through the harness and free her. The metal started to groan harder. The gravitational pull became even stronger. Trevelyan's heart missed a few beats when he felt the immobile suit flip forward. He pulled Newt out of the seat and off the suit before it would crush both of them. It tumbled over them into the Conduit. Their bodies rolled over the rubble closer to the Conduit's proximity. Trevelyan locked his arms around Newt, and she did the same. She activated a beacon in her suit. Three seconds. Trevelyan could every injury he sustained from his fight with Michael scream in agonizing pain, multiplied by a tenfold. Two seconds. Newt closed her eyes when the timer reached its end. One second. Just a meter away from it. They rolled into the Conduit that sent them into space within the last few milliseconds. He held on to Newt as best he could while the artificial tunnel around them collapsed, slingshotting them into a random trajectory. He entered a semi-conscious state as he tried to keep Newt with him. It didn't work, and he slipped even further away.

_What are you prepared to sacrifice?_

Trevelyan woke to the sound of his voice in his head. Consciousness, however, was an overestimation of his condition. His blurry vision came into focus. A memory? An illusion? A chill strike ran through his heart when he realized Newt wasn't with him. There _was_ nothing. All he could see were his arms hovering in front of him, ice crystallizing on the surface of his arms and gauntleted fingers. Armor doesn't crystallize, unless it was badly damaged. He couldn't move a single muscle, nor feel any pain in his body. There was nothing else – except for something in his left hand that he couldn't place. Just a pitch black darkness. His eyes closed again.

_I hope that my achievements in life shall be these – that I will have fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which mattered, and that I will have given help to those who were in need... and that I will have left the Galaxy a better place for what I've done and who I've been._

His own voice kept talking to him. Why did his memories surface? He couldn't place why. Trevelyan opened his eyes again and he had a slightly better vision. The visor of his helmet was cracked, the strands of data flashing red with errors. Biosigns flickered inconclusive red. No shields detectable. Nothing. He could see the object in his left hand glow blue for a second, then blacken, melting back into the black space around him. Trevelyan managed to stay awake this time and he felt something else.

_The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon we can be are instruments of peace.  
_

The second voice echoed in his head. A faint image of a Michael flickered on his visor. Or was it a hallucination? He bore is old armor from before he joined Sovereign. Michael cast a last look at Trevelyan before leaving him in a nightmarish dark silence.

_Operative Bravo-One!_

Trevelyan's eyes shot open. This time they really did. He snapped out of his semi conscious state and noticed he drifted in space among rubble from Ilos that traveled with him. He heard her voice clear as day: Newt. But there was still something wrong. He still couldn't move his body, or feel anything. Newt's voice lingered in the back of his head, continuously echoing. The promise he made burned in his mind: Keeping her safe. He could feel the object in his left hand again. He tried to focus on it but every time he did, it blurred. He blinked and his sight sharpened again.

_Just doing what they're told? Just following orders?_

The earlier voice echoed back in his head. It sounded familiar. A memory of Fearía lingered on his eyes, or his visor. Trevelyan couldn't tell anymore. He lost sight of everything happening. It urged him to keep Newt safe – no matter the cost – and keep his promise. Trevelyan could feel his body was slowly being drained of energy to a dangerous point. He struggled to stay conscious. Only one thought came to mind: Why can't I move?

_But when you sacrificed everything you had to become a perfect, cold, hard, logical machine, and that machine fails – what happens then?_

Trevelyan's body drifted over a broken pillar. He was close to a planet, the sun rising from the right. There were cyclonic clouds in its atmosphere. There was even more rubble than he initially thought; ruins from Ilos, and destroyed Geth. Even torn apart pieces from a Geth Dropship's hull. Dozens of dead bodies of Geth hung motionlessly in space, including him. Some debris in the distance moved unnaturally. The rocks and twisted metal moved up, then down, and finally moved away from each other as another object emerged out of the center. Trevelyan narrowed his eyes as best he could, but he couldn't get a good view at it. All he could see was that it moved. His eyes closed again when his energy weakened even further.

_Trevelyan, hold on!_

Trevelyan's eyes shot wide open at Newt's voice. He could see her shaking him by his shoulders, not getting a reaction from him. He wanted to – but couldn't. All he could feel was that he was glad she was still alive. That was all that mattered, that she was alive. Newt backed up a little, scanning his body. His left arm drifted up and the object in his hand slipped out of his fingers. Amber's pendant, the one he gave to Newt, drifted in front of him. Trevelyan must've accidentally pulled it with him when they split. The nightingale glowed a steady midnight blue. His visor flickered up with a picture of his old friends. He let go of it. Newt moved back up to him, grabbed the pendant, and his arm. Trevelyan felt his final bits of energy drain away and he fell into a starless night. A single dark voice cut through the darkness.

_How does it feel, knowing you have failed those who depended on you?  
_


	28. The Vanguard of Destruction

**The Vanguard of Destruction**_**  
**_

* * *

The Commanders looked at the artificial tunnel engulfing the Mako. It was the first time they ever got to see what it looked like this close. Gravity levels on the dash flickered orange, then red. The tunnel disappeared. The vehicle emerged on the other side, launching into the Presidium. It bumped into two Geth, rolled, then came to halt upside down. John reached for his side and spat out some blood on the Mako's glass. He wiped the rest from his mouth and looked over his shoulder at the others. Mostly fine, apart from some minor physical trauma from the crash. They crawled out of the ruined Mako and secured the area. They looked at the small Mass Relay monument, waiting. Newt didn't come through, nor did Trevelyan. They made some unpleasant sighs when the Mass Relay dimmed and disabled.

"Trevelyan, come in... Newt, do you read?" Jane asked over the COM. There was nothing but silence that replied.

"I'm sure they're fine, Commander," Liara told her. The Commander nodded at her, and she whispered, "Goddess, I hope they are all right."

"All right. Wrex, I want you and Ashley to secure the Presidium and protect any civilians present," John ordered. He forced his sigh out of his voice.

"Let's see who can take down the most Geth shall we, Williams?" Wrex replied.

"You're on!" Ashley told him, readying her rifle.

The two walked down the road and disappeared behind some rubble. Jane flashed five fingers at the rest, then waved at the elevator. She had to stay focused. They slowly walked up to it and took down the Husks before they reached the ground. The Commanders wouldn't fall for that a second time. The arms of the Citadel suddenly moved, closing. They looked around them until their eyes locked the Turian ships in the distance, engaging the Geth. They froze in position when Sovereign emerged out of the nebula, unfazed by the constant fire, and crashed right into a Turian ship and flew into the Citadel. Sovereign moved over them, spread its arms, and _landed_ on the top of the Citadel Tower. The arms of the Citadel closed. It was just them, Saren and Sovereign. The elevator came to a sudden halt. The team placed their helmets on, not sure if the systems of the Citadel were still functional. They nodded at Jane who grabbed her pistol.

"Activate your magnetic boots. We're going in the hard way," she ordered.

A single bullet tore through the elevator, shattered glass trailing behind it. The Commanders stood by the railing and went in first. Their boots connected with the elevator's wall with a satisfying _click_. John looked over his shoulder at safe ground to walk on and snapped to fingers at the road ahead of him. Jane and he took point, Garrus and Liara falling in behind them, then Tali and Kaidan covering them. They continued down a ramp. There was a groaning sound that came closer and closer. Another elevator moved past them at a dangerously fast speed and came to a sudden halt. Red blips flickered on the radar. Smoke blasted out of the door of the elevator, followed by beams of light. The team broke formation and headed for cover. John and Garrus swung their snipers from their back, engaging the Geth in the far end of the hallway. A single rocket impacted on Liara's barriers. Her barriers flared up, faded, and stayed steady at a third of its full strength. Tali deftly fired a shot at the last Geth, and it toppled over, minus its head.

Jane pointed two fingers at Tali and Garrus, then to each side of the hallway ahead of them. They moved up, taking cover on each side. The Commanders took point, Liara and Kaidan followed, then Garrus and Tali last. There was little cover in another hallway they entered. They looked up at a single arm of Sovereign moving up. It was massive. A red burst glimmered on John chest, crippling his shielding. Geth soldiers advanced on their position. The team jumped into the little cover they had. Tali hacked into the Geth Destroyer's subroutines. It snapped to someone else, attacking its former ally. The fight didn't last long, but it bought them just enough time to move ahead. A single blow hit Tali's neck, slamming her against the wall. Her vision blurred, then sharpened. She dodged the next swing from the Krogan Warlord and rolled away. The rest destroyed the two remaining Geth Destroyers and snapped to Tali and the Krogan Warlord. They waited until they got a clear shot and fired. The Warlord collapsed in his pool of blood, gurgled and twitched his limbs, then everything came to a stop.

"You alright, Tali?" Jane asked, taking closer look at Tali's neck.

"Yes. A little dazed, nothing more," Tali replied.

Her heads-up display indicated a suit rupture by her neck, but Tali didn't mention it – she could fight through it. The team walked around the corner and took down two Geth lying in ambush by their hexagon shaped shields. The area ahead of them was mostly walls and structures they couldn't climb. John searched around him and spotted a small opening to their far left. He snapped his fingers to draw everyone's attention and pointed ahead. They moved ahead in a brisk pace, climbed up the plateaus, and walked into another hall. They killed two Geth Destroyers and walked to another open area. Tali pointed at some turrets build on the wall.

"Look. Inactive Citadel defense turrets," she said, pointing at them. "I can hack into the systems and bring them back online."

"Do it. Garrus, you're with Tali," John ordered. "We'll cover you while you bring the defense turrets online."

A Geth Dropship flew overhead, then dropped forces on the ground. The Commander waved with two fingers at Tali and Garrus. They activated the first Citadel defense turret, and it targeted the ship. It dropped some Geth Shock Troopers that brought their weapons to bear. The rest of the team snapped their heads to them and opened fire. Another defense turret went online, then another one. The three Citadel defense turrets engaged the ship that couldn't drop any further forces with constant incoming fire. The Geth Dropship exploded and rubble drifted in the zero gravity. The Commanders looked back at Tali, who interacted with her Omni-Tool. Blue and green strands of data ran down the glowing, lavender purple screen of her Omni-Tool.

"Commander, there are other defense turrets around the area. I can bring them all back online – perhaps they can do something against Sovereign," Tali explained.

"Take Garrus with you. Be careful," John replied.

"I still have my C-Sec clearance. We can cut through some locked doors if needed," Garrus told the Commander. "We'll be fine. Go get Saren."

They nodded at each other and split ways. The team walked around the corner and caught two Krogan mercenaries off guard. Kaidan used a singularity to _catch_ one of the Krogan, and Liara launched it off into the air with a biotic throw. They advanced ahead and moved around the corner. Their hearts skipped a few beats.

"Down!" John barked.

The incoming rockets barely missed them. The wall behind them thundered, trailing smoke into the air. John let out a surprised gasp and swung his sniper from his back. Jane did the same. They nodded at each other, then leaned out of cover. Their bullets soared in the air and impacted on first heavy turret. The first bullet stripped away its shields and the other destroyed its FOF tag. The Commanders repeated the technique on another turret. The two Geth heavy turrets engaged the others, buying the Commander's team valuable time. They ghosted over the battlefield, taking down any Geth in their path. Kaidan pulled the last Geth heavy turret apart with his biotics and nodded, satisfied. There weren't any further Geth present – which seemed odd. They didn't redirect their forces to the rest of their team on the Citadel, did they? The Commander shook their concerns off. John knelt on the ground next to the hatch. He used a nearby piece of twisted metal as leverage to pull it open. He readied his pistol, jumped in, and scanned the Citadel Tower; it still had power on, artificial gravity was present, and there were no signs of Geth. He holstered his pistol and sent the all clear to the rest. The trees build around the Citadel Tower's center were all burning, dead bodies littering the area. The team aggressively attacked the few Geth forces who tried to stop them. They raced up the stairs to the coordinates given by Vigil.

Saren pressed some button on the holographic screen on the balcony. He snapped his head toward the sound of footsteps and twitched his mandibles. Jane was the first to reach the top and could see Saren jump down the balcony. There was a tense silence as they waited for something to happen. Saren moved back up on his transportation and threw a grenade toward the Commanders. They ducked away, taking cover on each side of the balustrades. They expected him to continue, but Saren didn't throw another grenade nor did he open fire.

"I was afraid you two wouldn't make it in time, Shepard," Saren said.

"In time for what?" Both Commanders replied in unison.

"The final confrontation. I think we all expected it would end like this," he told them. "You've lost. You know that, don't you? In a few minutes, Sovereign will have full control of all the Citadel's systems. The Relay will open. The Reapers will return."

"I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve," John snapped.

"You survived our encounter on Virmire. But I've changed since then. Improved. Sovereign has... upgraded me," Saren explained.

"You let Sovereign implant you? Are you insane?" Liara asked.

"I should thank you, Shepard. After Virmire, I couldn't stop thinking about what you said. About Sovereign manipulating me. About indoctrination," Saren continued, ignoring Liara. "The doubts began to eat away at me. Sovereign sensed my hesitation. I was implanted to strengthen my resolve. Now my doubts are gone. I believe in Sovereign completely. I understand that the Reapers need organics. Join us and Sovereign will find a place for you, too."

"Sovereign's controlling you through your implants. Don't you see that?" Kaidan said.

"The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither," Saren replied. "I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth!"

"Sovereign hasn't won yet. I can stop it from taking control of the station! Step aside and the invasion will never happen," Jane told him.

"We can't stop it! Not forever. You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful."

"Some part of you must still realize this is wrong. You can fight this!" Jane continued.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe there is still a chance for... unh!" Saren felt a sharp pain strike through his mind and body. "The implants... Sovereign is too strong. I'm sorry. It's too late for me."

"It's not too late. You can still redeem yourself!" Both Commanders said as they walked out of cover.

"Goodbye, Shepard. Thank you."

Saren cast a last look at the Commanders, then brought the barrel of his pistol to his right mandible. There was no hesitation. Saren knew he had to pull the trigger. The shot echoed through the empty halls. His body struggled to stay up and fell off the platform through the glass. The Commanders lowered their weapons with a sigh. That was one thing done. At least Saren redeemed himself; he had no way of knowing that indoctrination already took hold of him. Now to stop the Reaper invasion. They hurried up to the console and tapped in the commands given by Vigil.

"Vigil's data file worked. We've got control of all systems," Jane said.

"Quick! Open the stations arms. Maybe the fleet can take Sovereign down!" Kaidan replied.

"See if you can open a communications channel," Liara added.

"_...The Destiny Ascension. Main drives offline. Kinetic barriers down 40%. The Council is on board. I repeat, the Council is on board,_" the Destiny Ascension Navigator said as her voice crackled over the COM.

"_Normandy to the Citadel. Normandy to the Citadel. Please tell me that's you, Commanders,_" Joker's voice suddenly said over the COM.

"We're here, Joker," John answered.

"_We caught that distress call, Commanders. I'm sitting here in the Andura sector with the entire Arcturus Fleet,_" Joker explained. "_We can save the Ascension. Just unlock the Relays around the Citadel and we'll send the cavalry in!_"

"Are you really willing to sacrifice Human lives to save the Council, Shepard?" Kaidan asked.

"This is bigger than Humanity. Sovereign's a threat to every organic species in the Galaxy!" Liara added.

"The Council must be sacrificed for the greater good. Don't waste your reinforcements. Hold them back until the Citadel arms open up. Save the Human fleet to attack Sovereign," Kaidan snapped.

"_What's the order, Commanders? Come in now to save the Ascension or hold back?_" Joker asked.

"Opening the Relays now, Joker. We need to save the Ascension – no matter what the cost," John replied and opened all the Relays.

The Commanders waved their hands dismissively at Kaidan who was about to voice his concerns. Without the Citadel Council, the Galaxy would be in a bigger uproar, and the Terminus Systems might plan an assault on Citadel Space without its leaders. He proceeded to open the stations arms when the Geth ships were all destroyed. They leaned forward to glance at Saren's dead body. John looked over his shoulder at Liara and Kaidan.

"Make sure he's dead," John ordered flatly.

Liara and Kaidan walked back down the stairs and jumped down. They both slowly approached Saren's body. While they saw him shoot himself, they had no idea what those implants of Sovereign were capable of. The Lieutenant brought his pistol to bear and fired a round at the Spectre's head. It moved slightly back, but stayed on the ground. A second pool of purple blood started to appear beneath his head.

"He's dead," Liara confirmed.

The Citadel Tower suddenly shook heavily and red energy spread around them over the walls. The energy crawled over everything toward Saren's body and moved into it. Saren made some unnatural groans when the implants took control. Kaidan's eyes shot wide open when a bright, red blast knocked him back against the wall. The balcony the Commanders stood on weakened and fell down. Both Commanders fell down a glass window and hit the ground. They struggled up and looked at each other to see if they were unharmed. John was the first to look back at Saren, who got up from the floor, then the others watched. A burning red light melted his eyes away, replacing it, like a spare part. His skin melted apart until nothing but the metal skeleton was visible. Saren's arms were longer than before; sharp claws that looked like they could cut through almost anything. Was this what also happened to Protheans in the Vision? He jerked his head to the four and jumped on to ceiling.

"I am Sovereign. And this station is MINE!" Saren spoke, his voice morphed into a robotic tone.

Saren's husk-like form moved around the room fast. The team switched to their pistols rather than rifles – easier to aim and fire. This wasn't Saren anymore, they battled Sovereign who took control of the implants. It leaped toward Liara, who barely managed to avoid its razor sharp claws. Her barriers flared, faded, and she could see three deep cuts in her armor from where Sovereign hit her. The Commanders opened fire at Sovereign when Liara and Kaidan caught it with a singularity. They managed to strip away its shielding. Something happened outside. They risked looking at the Arcturus fleet engaging Sovereign. Their ships blew up one by one as Sovereign, seemingly unfazed by the attacks, targeted them. How can you stop something so powerful? The Fleet couldn't scratch the ship. But Sovereign was just an A.I. – maybe an advanced A.I. with untold capabilities – but just an A.I. and machine. Perhaps destroying its control over the Husk would suffice. The husk regenerated its shielding while the Commanders looked at the Arcturus fleet getting torn apart. John clenched his jaw, grabbed his assault rifle, and fired mercilessly at Sovereign jumping from wall to wall, dodging the incoming rounds. It leaped off the wall toward the group, its claws aimed at them. Jane grabbed the barrel of her sniper, used it to swing Saren's body back, and fired a shot through its head. It struggled back up, and the team continuously fired. The husk-like body fell on its back, the lights dimmed, and it vaporized into tiny particles.

They looked back at the window when a metal groaning sound drew their attention. Sovereign lost its grip on the Citadel Tower and fell down. The Arcturus Fleet engaged the vulnerable Reaper with everything they got. Multiple Citadel Defense Turrets also engaged the crippled Reaper. The _SSV Normandy_ sheered past Sovereign after delivering the killing shot. Sovereign exploded in a massive burst of red energy the danced in the smoke. They looked at it with a smile – they did it. But something moved their way. They narrowed their eyes to get a better look at it. A large piece of rubble drifted dangerously fast toward them, and the Commanders snapped their heads back at Liara and Kaidan.

"Go!" They yelled.

They ran as fast they could. The muscles in their legs screamed for rest, but they needed to get as far away as they could. The room thundered, filled with smoke, and caused the Commanders to black out when pieces of the rubble hit them. Kaidan pulled Liara with him out of the rubble that rained down on them. The Commanders were gone; cut off from their position when one of Sovereign's twisted legs crashed down. They took cover in the room as the rubble crashed around them. It felt like an eternity that they didn't hear from the Commanders or anyone. Hours passed as they patched their own wounds up. There was some scuffling on the other side of the metal plates. Someone grabbed a metal plate and moved it out of the way.

"Captain Anderson! We found them! They're in here," a C-Sec Guard yelled.

"Take it easy... it's over. You're safe now," Captain Anderson told them. "Where are the Commanders? Where's Shepard?"

Liara slightly shook her head, then bobbed it toward massive rubble behind them. Captain Anderson stared at it and felt a cold feeling in him. The C-Sec guards helped Liara and Kaidan up. They cast a last look at the rubble behind them where they last saw the Commanders. The Captain looked back at the teammates, then to the rubble near the stairs when he spotted movement. Kaidan and Liara turned around and limped toward the Captain. The figures moved closer to them. The Commanders climbed their way up the rubble and looked at the rest. They walked down toward Captain Anderson and their team, a smile growing on their faces. Huerta Memorial Hospital doctors greeted them outside of the tower, the rest of the team standing beside them. They did it: Sovereign and the Reaper invasion was stopped . . . for now. The Commanders walked with Captain Anderson to the Presidium where Ambassador Udina and the Citadel Council greeted them.

"Ambassador. Captain. Commanders Shepard," Councilor Tevos formally greeted. "We've gathered here to recognize the enormous contributions of the Alliance forces in the war against Sovereign and the Geth."

"Many Humans lost their lives in the battle to save the Citadel, brave and courageous soldiers who willingly gave their lives so that we – the Council – might live," Councilor Valern said.

"There is no greater sacrifice, and we share your grief over the loss of so many noble men and women," Councilor Sparatus added.

"The Council also owes you a great personal debt, Commanders. One we can never repay," Tevos said. "You two not saved just our lives, but the lives of billions from Sovereign and the Reapers."

"Commanders Shepard, your heroic and selfless acts serve as a symbol of everything Humanity and the Alliance stand for," Valern remarked.

"And though we cannot bring back those valiant soldiers who gave their lives to safe ours, we can honor their memories through our actions," Sparatus said.

"Humanity has shown it is ready to stand as a defender and protector of the Galaxy. You have proved you are worthy to join our ranks and serve beside us on the Citadel Council," Tevos explained.

"Councilor, on behalf of Humanity and the Alliance, we thank you for this prestigious honor and humbly accept," Ambassador Udina replied.

"We will need a list of potential candidates to fill Humanity's seat on the Council," Valern noted.

"Given all that has happened, I am sure your recommendations will carry a great deal of weight, Commanders. Do you support any particular candidate?" Tevos asked.

"Captain Anderson," both John and Jane said in unison. The Asari Councilor kept her chuckle to herself. They had some twin moments.

"I think it is an inspired choice. The Council would welcome him with open arms, should he accept."

"I'm honored, Councilor. As Humanity's representative, I'll do everything in my power to help the Council rebuild," Anderson replied.

"Sovereign's defeat marks the beginning of a new era for both Humanity and the Council."

"Sovereign was only a Vanguard. The Reaper fleet is still coming. Hundreds of ships, maybe thousands. And we're going to find a way to stop them," Jane told them. The Commanders excused themselves and walked to the rest of their team.

"Shepard's right. Humanity is ready to do its part. United with the rest of the Council, we have the strength to overcome any challenge," Captain Anderson spoke. "When the Reapers come, we must stand side by side. We must fight against them as one. And together we will drive them back into Dark Space!"

* * *

**Citadel Dock 442, aboard the _SSV Normandy_**

It's been a week since the team has been in physical and emotional rehabilitation for what happened in the past few months. Jane brushed with her hand over the panel and took the elevator down to Deck Twelve. As per her request the Alliance didn't touch this deck. She walked around the empty room and headed for the desk Trevelyan always sat by to watch Newt. There was a small opening in the side, and the Commander reached with her hand into it. She managed to grab hold of something and pulled the object out; rolled up pieces of paper. Jane unrolled one and stared thoughtfully at the hand drawn picture of the entire team, standing side by side as a family. It wasn't finished. Not yet. Trevelyan's drawing of himself on the paper wasn't finished. Jane sat down, placed the drawing on the desk, and grabbed a pencil.

* * *

**Author's note:  
**_(I decided to write and upload the final two chapters today as I have some things coming up next week. Sorry about that.)_

Well, that was my first story. This has been an amazing process of learning - and a satisfying one at that. It's absolutely fascinating how characters can take on lives and personalities on their own and do things in your head.

A big heartfelt thank you to those who reviewed, offered comments, support, and suggestions. I can only hope that the experience of reading this story has been enjoyable.


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